Marked
by Musical Soul
Summary: Being Marked was never easy. Specifically, being a Reader wasn't easy. Noah hated his ability sometimes, felt that it was more of a curse than a gift, like his mother said. But when he met Elsa, he suddenly found a reason to be thankful for it. Now if he could just get her to open up to him. She was hiding something, and he knew it. - AU of Beneath Your Beautiful
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: OH MY GOODNESS GUYS I'M BACK! Wow, I feel terrible for leaving you guys like that :( This story has been promised for months now, but I managed to hit a serious road block. For months, I just couldn't figure out where to go with it. And I had other stories pop into my head, other things that I wanted to write, so this kinda got put on the back burner. But...it's done now! Completed! Yay!**

 **I have several more stories that are completed too, and will get posted sometime after this one. I've ventured into a few different fandoms, gotten out of my little Frozen box :) so hopefully you guys will like what's coming! And hopefully I'll be more consistent with posting new stuff for a while. In any case, I don't plan to ever promise you guys a story and then never deliver for months. Won't happen again!**

 **WARNINGS: so, this story is a little darker at times than some of my others. There's one chapter in particular that I'll have to warn you of, but for the most part it's not too terrible. In any case, there is a bit of violence/abuse in this story, so if that bothers you, watch for warnings at the beginning of chapters.**

 **And, without further ado... the story! Much love to you all!**

* * *

Chapter 1

The first time they met, he was only eight.

"Noah," the teacher called. The young brown-haired boy ignored her, continuing to stare absentmindedly at the surface of his desk. She strode across the room, stopping right in front of him with her hands on her hips. "Mr. Holton," she said impatiently.

Noah's head popped up, finally realizing that someone was talking to him. He glanced around the room to see that all of his classmates were gone. A couple of them were standing in the doorway, staring at him. After a few seconds' pause, Noah glanced back up at his teacher, avoiding her gaze on purpose. He didn't need to know any more about the issues she was having with her husband at home. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Moore. I was lost in thought."

She raised an eyebrow at him, but otherwise ignored his comment. "Well, come on. It's time for recess."

Noah stood up from his desk and followed her out into the hall. He had indeed been lost in thought, though not unintentionally. It was something he did when he didn't like what he saw in someone's eyes. He had known about his teacher's marital issues since the beginning of the school year, but it had gotten worse over the weekend. She had caught her husband having an affair, and now it looked like their marriage was going to fall apart.

Being only eight, Noah shouldn't have known what an affair was. He should have been too young to understand. But Noah was a special boy, or at least, that's what his mother told him. Marked Services simply called him Marked, a person born with a unique ability. Specifically, he was a Reader, blessed with clear sight. He could see things that others couldn't, at least when it came to emotions and feelings. As they walked to recess, Noah could tell that the boy in front of him with wavy brown hair was upset about something. He could tell that the black-haired girl beside him was confused, likely about the lesson they had been having. And if he looked into their eyes, he could tell exactly what was causing those emotions. He would see memories, thoughts, know exactly why they felt the way they did. His mother called it a gift. Noah called it a curse.

It was the reason that he knew more than an eight-year-old should know. He had seen things in people's eyes that would scare most children. For a while, it _had_ scared him. When he was very young, his ability had terrified him. He had avoided looking at people's eyes for months, until his mother finally convinced him that he couldn't run from his ability. Instead of avoiding it, he could use it to help people. Noah took that to heart. He had a reputation for being kind-hearted, always helping others when he saw that they needed it. Most of the time they didn't even have to ask.

In addition to letting him understand emotions better than anyone, his ability also made school easy work for him. All thoughts were connected to some form of an emotion or feeling, so as long as he could see into his teacher's eyes, he could basically read her thoughts. This meant that if he was confused about something, he could glance at his teacher and see the reasoning behind the statement, and that was usually enough to get him to comprehend what had been puzzling him. He learned quite a few extra things in the process, usually things that he didn't really want to know, but at least schoolwork never bothered him. He knew about things that his classmates wouldn't learn for years. He had seen the horrors of the world through other people's eyes. Nothing scared him now.

Until he met her.

Noah paused to stretch in the sunlight as his classmates ran for the playground. He had an uncanny maturity about him, a side effect of his ability, one that took away most of his childish tendencies. He wasn't like most other children. He was calm, quiet, and patient. Some of the children thought him weird because of this, but he didn't mind. He was used to knowing exactly what people thought of him. Their childish thoughts didn't bother him.

Leisurely, he walked toward the swings at the edge of the playground. He always went to the swings. It was his favorite activity during recess, mostly because the other children tended to gravitate toward activities that were better suited for groups. He picked a swing on the end, closest to the most unoccupied corner of the playground. The only other living thing in that corner besides himself and the bugs was a large oak tree.

He seated himself in the swing, pushing back as far as he could, his toes barely touching the ground. Smiling slightly, he pulled his feet up. He pumped his legs to go as fast as possible, eventually soaring almost to the height of the top bar of the swing set. Noah closed his eyes, enjoying his moment of peace. He treasured moments like this, moments where there weren't countless people to read, moments where it was just him.

There were only a handful of people that Noah didn't mind reading. His parents were the two that came to mind first. They were naturally open people, so if they had an issue, they didn't hide it from him. He knew about it because they didn't want to hide it, even though he was young. They also worked through their issues. Noah knew without a shadow of a doubt that his parents would be together until they died. He could see it in their eyes. He never minded reading them. His grandparents also came to mind. They, like his parents, didn't have heads filled with dark thoughts. The only looks he ever received from them were ones of love, and those were looks that he treasured.

Noah let his thoughts wander for a time, eyes still closed, enjoying the sensation of the wind ripping at his hair and clothes as he swung. Every time he reached the top of his arc, his stomach swooped at the change in direction, a feeling of weightlessness overtaking him. He loved that feeling. It thrilled him, and little else did.

A voice suddenly made its way to Noah's ears, one that made him frown. He had gotten very good at reading people's emotions based on the tone of their voice, because he could always confirm his guess by looking at them. The voice that reached his ears was that of a young girl, but it was laced with such sadness that his heart instantly went out to her.

"Give it back, please," she begged.

Noah opened his eyes. Something was definitely wrong. The next voice he heard made him frown with disgust, but also a little sadness. He'd heard that voice many times before, had stopped the boy that owned it from picking on countless other children. Noah knew his reasons of course; the boy was constantly ignored by his parents. Bullying was his way of attempting to get their attention, even if it wasn't the kind of attention he wanted or needed. It was the wrong way to handle the situation of course, but it was the only thing that actually worked.

"I don't listen to cry babies," the boy spat.

Noah slowed himself to a halt while searching the area for the pair. He found them beneath the oak tree to his left. Jace Parker was standing above a small girl with platinum blonde hair who was sitting against the trunk of the tree. The boy had stolen her book and was dangling it above her head tauntingly. Noah walked quickly over to the pair, crossing his arms when he was a few feet away and standing with his feet spread. It was an intimidating stance, mostly because of Noah's size. He was taller than every child in his class, and likely his entire grade.

"Give her the book back, Jace," he said calmly. The sandy-haired boy snapped his head up, glaring at Noah. He made the mistake of looking directly into Noah's eyes. Almost everyone did, because it was common courtesy to look at people's eyes when you talked to them. That just meant that Noah knew a lot more than most people wanted him to know. So it was easy for Noah to understand that Jace was picking on the girl because she reacted to him more than most. He could almost always pull a few tears from her, and that gave him a sick sort of thrill.

Jace sneered up at Noah before he spoke. "What makes you think I'm gonna listen to you?"

Noah almost laughed. He could have listed a number of reasons, chief among those being that Noah intimidated him. But Noah simply kept silent, his glare darkening as he stared the boy down. He saw the exact moment of defeat, the look of submission in Jace's eyes.

"Fine, whatever," Jace snapped. He tossed the book at the girl's head. She barely brought her hands up in time to stop the book from hitting her in the face. Jace sent Noah a vicious glare as he passed, walking back toward the main part of the playground, likely to torment some other child that had irritated him that morning.

Noah rolled his eyes as the boy walked by, then turned his attention to the girl sitting in front of him and knelt down beside her. Her body language was giving off emotions so strongly that he blinked, startled. Even more startling was the fact that her emotions seemed…less complicated than normal. Usually, when Noah read someone's emotions, he picked up their surface emotions along with a host of smaller, less noticeable things that most people didn't even realize they were feeling. But with this girl, the emotions below the surface were almost nonexistent. He could read a little bit of lingering fear, and a decent amount of embarrassment and nervousness, but mostly he read her gratitude.

"Thank you," she whispered.

He detected a slight tremor in her voice, almost as if she was afraid of him too. That thought made him frown. He couldn't imagine why she would be afraid of him. He tried to shift just a little to get a good look at her eyes, but she kept them directed at her lap. Noah cocked his head to the side slightly, perplexed. "You're welcome. He's just a big bully. Thinks he can pick on anyone he wants." He paused, a slight shift in her emotions telling him that she knew that all too well. He decided to ignore that for now. He'd learned that most people didn't like it when he guessed things correctly about them. They wanted to be able to tell him themselves, if they wanted to tell him at all. "He didn't hit you with that book, did he?"

The girl shook her head in response. Noah could tell that she wasn't used to speaking. In fact, if he wasn't mistaken, she rarely ever spoke to anyone, and today had been the first time in quite a while that she'd said anything at all. He was almost positive that she didn't have any friends, but he couldn't figure out why. She was a really pretty girl, and she seemed friendly. He could tell that she was shy, and quiet like him, but that shouldn't stop her from having friends. He knew without looking at her eyes that she desperately needed one. He decided to give her a chance to be his. He didn't have any friends either. "Do you want to come try out the swings with me?"

She hesitated for just a moment before shaking her head again. Noah frowned even more. This girl was really starting to puzzle him. She hadn't looked him in the eyes yet. Actually, she hadn't even looked higher than his chest. No one had ever kept their eyes that downcast around him before. It was almost as if she knew about his gift. But that couldn't be right. He'd never even seen this girl before today. He tried not to sound too disappointed as he answered her. "All right then. Well, if he picks on you again, you let me know, and I'll stop it."

After a few seconds' pause, she nodded. Noah could tell that she wouldn't ask for his help though. The fact that he couldn't discern any details about her life was starting to frustrate him. He didn't even know what color her eyes were, she was keeping them focused so low. He had the strangest urge to learn more about her, as if he _needed_ to know her. To prolong the conversation just a bit, Noah introduced himself. "My name is Noah, by the way. What's yours?"

He thought she wasn't going to answer him, but after a few seconds of silence, she responded. "Elsa," she whispered.

Something resonated within him when she said her name. He fought back a random shiver. He had to get to know this girl. But he could tell that she wanted to keep her distance. That was fine with him. He was a patient boy. He would wait, and he would watch. He would try to learn a little more about her. But he knew he would never forget her. He couldn't. He knew so little about her, and that intrigued him. It had never been this hard for him to learn about someone. She just made it difficult for him. Noah smiled a little at the thought.

"That's a pretty name," he told her eventually, and he meant it. He'd never heard a more beautiful name. "Well, anyways, I'll let you read now." He stood up and turned to walk back to the swings. He didn't think he'd ever be able to get this girl out of his head. When he was a few feet away from her, he looked back over his shoulder. He caught a flash of bright blue before she looked back down at her lap. Somehow, Noah was only able to glean a single thought from her eyes in that instant of contact: regret. He turned his gaze forward again, frustrated.

As Noah seated himself on the swing once again, swinging much lower than before, he couldn't stop himself from gazing in her direction every few minutes. The fact that he couldn't read her scared him. Not for himself, but for her. He could tell she was hiding something. The possibilities of what she could be hiding worried him. He got the feeling that she never looked anyone in the eyes, likely to protect herself. For the first time in several years, Noah felt scared, terrified even.

"I will help you, Elsa," he whispered to himself. "I promise."

* * *

Noah pushed the peas around his plate with his fork, his chin resting in the palm of his hand. He hadn't been able to get Elsa out of his head for the rest of the day. He had even been a little preoccupied during taekwondo practice, though that hardly mattered. His ability allowed him to see what moves the other boys were about to use. No one had ever beaten him. Somehow, his instructor hadn't noticed his distractedness. But his mother, Sarah, certainly did.

"Noah, what's wrong? You've been strangely quiet all afternoon. Even more than usual."

He waited a little bit before answering, still lost in thought. He looked up at his mother, seeing genuine concern in her eyes. The thought that he might be sick flitted through her mind and he smiled. "I'm not sick, Mom. I just…" He sighed, looking down at his plate. "I met a girl today."

"Oh?" his mother asked. He saw her glance at his father, Jim, with a small smile.

"And it's not like that either. I mean, she was beautiful, but that's not what has me thinking about her."

Sarah half-grinned in amazement at her son. What eight-year-old used the word "beautiful" to describe a girl? She answered herself easily in her head. Likely no other eight-year-old besides her son had ever described a girl like that, at least not with full knowledge of what it meant. After a few seconds of silence, Sarah prompted her son to continue. "So why are you thinking about her?" she asked.

Noah looked up at his mother. "Because I couldn't read her."

Sarah blinked, startled. "What do you mean?" She sent a worried glance in Jim's direction.

"She wouldn't look at me. At all. I mean, I didn't even know what color her eyes were until I looked back at her as I was walking away. And even then, I couldn't read anything besides regret. Regret for not talking to me longer. Somehow, that was the only thought in her head when I looked at her. And you know I can read thousands of things in a tenth of a second. That was all I could see."

"Well…" Sarah paused, unsure. She looked to Jim for help.

Jim frowned, setting his fork down. "I'm not sure why you would only read one thing. Maybe she just has very good focus." He paused, then let out a sigh. "But as for not looking at you… Well, some people are just like that, son. She's probably extremely shy."

Noah shook his head. "I think she might be trying to hide something."

"Well, if she is, she probably has a good reason," his father said.

Noah frowned. "The thing is, Dad, I've seen plenty of horrible things. There's a bunch that I've seen in people's eyes that I wish I'd never seen. A lot of the time, it's adults that I see those things from. You know that I haven't been scared in years. But this girl, Elsa…I'm scared for her, Dad," Noah whispered, looking up at his father, tears pricking his eyes. "What is so bad in her life that she thinks she needs to hide it from everyone, at eight years old?"

Jim glanced at Sarah, worried. Noah could tell that his father was concerned now. He worried for the girl too. But Noah could also tell that his father thought they couldn't do anything about it. Eventually, Sarah looked at Noah and spoke softly. "Why don't you keep an eye on her, Noah? Keep trying to read her. See if you can figure out what's going on. And if you can't… Well, just be her friend, if you get the chance. I'm sure she could use one."

Noah nodded. He stared at his plate for a few more seconds before looking up at his parents. "May I be excused?" he asked. When Sarah nodded, he stood up from the table and made his way into the backyard. As the screen door snapped shut behind him, he heard the frantic scrambling of his dog hurrying out of the dog house in the back of the yard. Noah grinned as a blur of white sped across the grass. The large dog came right up to Noah, jumping on him and trying to lick his ears.

Noah laughed, shoving the dog away. "Bear, calm," he said, still laughing. The dog calmed down marginally, but he was still overexcited. He was about a year old, little more than a puppy. Noah and his parents had been training Bear since they'd gotten him, but the dog still struggled with commands occasionally. Noah sat down in the grass, bending his knees and spreading them apart so that Bear could sit between them. He scratched the dog's chest, scrunching up his chin when Bear licked him.

After a long moment of silence, Noah glanced at Bear and smiled. "You're such a good friend, Bear. Though I suppose it makes it easier that I can't read animals." Noah leaned his head on one knee, tilting it to the side to rest against Bear as well. They sat like that for a long while, Noah finding comfort in the mass of fur in front of him. It had been the reason his parents had gotten Bear for him for his birthday last year. They thought that the dog would be good for Noah, who rarely ever spoke to anyone besides his family. They knew he didn't have many friends at school, and guessed that the companionship of a dog would help him relieve some tension. They had been right.

Eventually, Noah returned inside, leaving Bear out in the yard. He said goodnight to his parents and made his way upstairs, still lost in thought. He would do as his mother suggested and keep an eye on Elsa. Something just felt distinctly off with her, like what she was hiding was very bad news. He wanted to help her, but at the same time, he got the feeling that she didn't want help. So he would watch from a distance. He would wait, and be patient. And he would be there for her when she needed him.

* * *

 **Hooray! It feels so good to be finally posting this. This chapter may feel familiar to some of you, but from here on out there will be very few similarities between this story and the previous one with Noah. So get ready! Once again, love you all!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Hello again all! You thought I wouldn't post again, didn't you? ;) well, no worries, I will be on a pretty regular posting schedule until I get all of this up! And as always, it is already completed, so no need to worry about that! Thanks to everyone who has already favorited, reviewed, followed, all that good stuff. You guys always make me happy :) This chapter will be kinda cute and fluffy, at least compared to most of the rest of the story, so relax and enjoy until the next chapter!**

* * *

Chapter 2

The first day of fifth grade was possibly the best day of Noah's life to date. He had spent the last several years keeping an eye on Elsa from a distance. Most of the time, he rarely ever saw her. Sometimes he caught a glimpse of her in the hallways, and occasionally he saw her at lunch or on the playground. But for the most part those were brief glimpses, lasting a few seconds, minutes if he was lucky. And still, she avoided his gaze. He never once got a glance at her eyes, ever since that day on the playground in second grade. But he had a feeling that might change, because this year, she was in his class.

Noah searched the room for his desk. The desks were set up in pairs, and by the looks of things they were in alphabetical order. When he finally found his name, he couldn't help the wide grin that spread across his face. He was seated right next to Elsa. Trying to wipe the stupid grin off his face, he sat down next to her, putting his things in the cubby under his desktop. He glanced slyly to his left, trying to get a look at her name. According to the nameplate that was taped to the top lefthand corner of her desk, her full name was Elsa Finley.

He noticed her glance in his direction, but like usual, she avoided eye contact. Noah decided to take the initiative. "Hey, Elsa. Haven't seen you in a while. We met on the playground a few years ago, remember?" he asked.

Elsa nodded her head, keeping her gaze directed at her desk. He was still frustratingly unsure about her life. She kept her gaze away from his at all times. He never could seem to get a clear look at her eyes. He could read multiple emotions from just glancing at her, sure. That was normal. But he couldn't get any details. At the moment, she seemed to be relieved. He thought she might be happy too, but he could also read sadness and a bit of confusion in her, as if she wasn't sure how to feel with him there.

Noah tried to get a conversation going. "It's good to see you. You haven't still been having issues with Jace, have you?"

She shook her head, still refraining from speaking. Noah tried to keep a frown off his face. He knew instantly that she was lying. He looked behind him, searching the desks near the back for the boy. So far, he wasn't in their class. He tried to read the names on the desks that were empty, but he couldn't make them out from this far away. He glanced back at the front of the class for the teacher before standing up and walking to the row behind him. He made his way to the last names that started with the letter "P" and looked for Jace's name. A sigh of relief escaped his lips when he didn't find it.

Noah made his way back to his desk and sat down. "He's not in our class, Elsa. So no worries," he said with a smile. Noah could almost feel the relief roll off her in waves. He blinked. Emotions normally weren't that strong when he read them; it reminded him of the first time he'd read her, back in second grade. Her emotions had been strong then too. He wondered what had been going on with Jace the last several years, if her relief was that strong. Noah knew this wasn't the time to ask though; he was sure she wouldn't tell him anything anyway. So far, she had yet to say a word to him. In fact, she had only ever said three words to him, and those back in second grade on the playground.

They sat in silence for several more minutes. Finally, the teacher came into the classroom and began the day. Noah listened as she called roll, glancing at her eyes to see if he would have to avoid her gaze this year. He sighed when he didn't see anything terrible. He let his gaze wander as she kept calling out names. When she paused for a second, he snapped his eyes back to hers. He frowned as she skipped Elsa's name and went straight to his. He answered her on instinct, still reeling from what he had seen in her eyes. Elsa Finley, the girl that never speaks. The strange one that always wears pants and long-sleeved shirts. The one that no one could figure out. He clenched his jaw.

Noah wasn't given much time to think about it. Their teacher, Mrs. Kennedy, was one that focused on getting right to business. They jumped right into the material after introductions had been finished. Noah paid close attention to Elsa the entire time. She was a hard worker, extremely focused on every task they were given. She never appeared to be confused, so he assumed that she was smart. When lunchtime rolled around, he glanced at Elsa as they made their way out of the classroom and into the hall to line up.

He spoke softly to her as everyone was forming a line. "Elsa. Sit with me?" He almost took a step back as she snapped her head up, eyes locking with his. Once again, he could only read one thought in her eyes. _Why?_ She wanted to know why. He blinked. After a few seconds, she nodded, returning her gaze to the floor. Noah stared at the back of her head, still in shock. Was it that unusual for someone to want to sit with her?

Noah let his feet carry him to the lunchroom, still lost in thought. He followed Elsa through the line, watching her put very little food on her tray. He frowned, now worrying about her even more. When he made it to the end of the line, he grabbed an extra chocolate chip cookie and put it on his tray. He was only supposed to have one, but he hoped the lunch ladies would let him have the extra one for Elsa. He glanced at her thin frame, frowning again. She needed that cookie for sure.

He got in a line behind Elsa and waited as she entered her number. The lady barely glanced at her, just checking to make sure Elsa didn't get anything she wasn't supposed to…like the extra cookie that was on Noah's tray. He watched Elsa walk off toward a table in the corner of the lunchroom as he entered his number. The lunch lady looked down at his tray with a frown.

"Mr. Holton, you know you aren't supposed to get more than one cookie," she said sternly.

Noah smiled. "The other one is for Elsa. I thought she could use it."

The lady paused, raising an eyebrow. Noah looked into her eyes. She was shocked that he was showing concern for the blonde girl. Apparently he was the first that she had ever seen do something like that. Noah had to bite his tongue to keep from growling as memories of Elsa being picked on in the lunchroom flooded the lady's mind. He glanced down at the floor.

"Well, all right. I suppose she does look like she could use a cookie."

Noah smiled sadly as she let him go, making his way to the table that Elsa was sitting at. There wasn't anyone else sitting there, and a few people stared at him as he sat down beside her. He didn't care much. It was clear to him now that she really needed a friend, and he would do everything he could to be one for her. He glanced at her tray, smiling brighter when he saw one of the items she had.

"You put mayonnaise on your pineapple too?" he asked, laughing. He pointed to one of the sections of his tray. He grinned when he saw a ghost of a smile grace her lips as she nodded. "I thought I was the only one at school that did that. I still remember the first time I came through the line with it. The lunch ladies stared at me like I was crazy. But we do it at home, and I always tell people that it tastes way better than it looks," he said with a laugh.

Seeing that she probably wasn't going to talk any time soon, Noah chattered away to her for the rest of their lunch period. He kept up a constant stream of conversation, watching as she visibly relaxed around him. The longer he spoke to her, the more relaxed she became. He thought he might have almost gotten laughter out of her once, and he definitely managed to coax out a couple smiles. Close to the end of lunch, he remembered his extra cookie. He reached for one and slipped it onto Elsa's tray. She tilted her head to the side and glanced in his direction. She avoided his gaze, but he could tell she wanted to know what he was doing.

"I got an extra one for you. The lady let me have two when I told her why I got the extra one. I thought you could use a cookie. They're good for your mental health, you know," he said sagely. "Cookies make people happy. I mean, who doesn't like ooey-gooey, chocolatey goodness?"

Elsa bit her lip, smiling. She didn't say anything, but he could tell she was thankful. They finished lunch in relative silence. When their class made their way out of the lunchroom, Elsa looked considerably happier. Noah smiled, glad that he was making a difference. They spent another hour or two in the classroom before it was time for them to go out for recess. Elsa grabbed a book from her desk before they walked out into the hall. Noah got behind her in line and walked quietly with the rest of the class to the playground.

When they'd made it outside, Noah put a hand on Elsa's shoulder to stop her from walking off. She jumped at his touch, drawing away from him instantly. He pulled his hand back, slightly shocked. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I was just trying to get your attention." He paused, feeling her terror subside. "Would you come to the tree that we met at a few years ago? You can sit there now. That way I can keep an eye out for…well, people that might bother you. Plus, there's something that I want to tell you, and I'd like it if no one else could hear."

Elsa nodded her head, starting across the playground for the oak tree in the corner. As usual, no one else was even close to that part of the playground. Noah followed her, watching her shoulders relax slightly when they had made it through the crowds. She sat down in the shade of the tree, leaning back against the trunk. Noah sat down beside her, crossing his legs and plucking at blades of grass in front of him. When Elsa made to open her book, he reached out to place a hand on the cover.

"Wait," he said softly. "I want to talk to you first. There's something that I need to tell you." He waited until she placed the book down beside her before continuing, deciding to just jump right into it. "I'm Marked. Do you know what that means?" he asked, waiting until she nodded. "I have a…special ability. My mom tells me that it's a gift. I kinda feel like it's a curse, really. But it was something that I was born with. I can't stop it. And… Well, I really want you to know about it. I don't want to be dishonest with you. Mostly, I can tell you want to keep something hidden, and my ability…well, sometimes it might…" He trailed off, wondering how to explain his gift.

Noah shook his head and sighed, running a hand through his short, messy hair. "This is hard to explain. What I can do… They call me a Reader. If I'm just looking at someone, their posture, their body language, I can read into it a bit more than most people." He looked out at the other kids playing, searching for something to tell her. He pointed to a girl by the tires. "See that girl over there with red hair? Wearing the blue shirt and the skirt? She's disappointed about something. And the boy over there with brown hair, green shirt? He's irritated, and a little upset. It's a bit more complicated than that, because no one ever feels just one thing. But that's the strongest thing they're feeling." Noah turned his gaze back toward Elsa, catching a glimpse of her eyes for just a second. She was stunned, having a hard time believing him. Noah closed his eyes so that he wouldn't see anything she didn't want him to.

"And you… I've never felt so many emotions so strongly before. Usually, people feel one or two things strongly, and everything else they barely even notice. But you…it's like all the emotions you feel, even if they aren't the most prominent, you still know they're there, like you have more control over your emotions than most." Noah paused, opening his eyes to find that her gaze had returned to her lap. "You're shocked right now, but…you're also happy, and I'd guess happier than you've been in a long time. You're content, but…there's always a lingering sadness. Sometimes there's fear, or loneliness, or pain. And there's nearly always despair. Like you don't think there's a way to fix your problems." Noah had to force himself to keep his hands in his lap as he watched a tear roll down her cheek.

He took a deep breath. "That's not all I can do though. The reason I wanted to tell you this… Well, I know you want to hide things. And I respect that. See, I can read people's emotions and feelings just by looking at them, but if I look into their eyes…I know details. I know exactly why they feel the way they do. I know exactly what's going through their mind. Every single detail. And it happens in a split second." Noah could feel shock and disbelief radiating from her. "I know it's hard to believe. Look, think of something completely off-topic. Something that I wouldn't have any clue you were thinking about. Think really hard on it and then look at me. It doesn't have to be an emotion. All thoughts are tied to emotions, so whatever emotion that thought makes you feel is how I'll know what you're thinking."

Elsa took a few seconds to focus on something. He wasn't even sure if she'd do it, knowing what he could do. But after a few seconds, she looked up cautiously. He glanced into her eyes, smiling as he followed her thoughts. He looked back down quickly when he'd seen what she was thinking about. "You were thinking about going to the library after school to get a new book. _The Giver_. You've read it before, but you really like it, so you want to read it again. Reading makes you happy. It's your…escape." Noah tilted his head to the side. "That's what you were thinking about at first. But when you looked at me, you thought about my eyes. You like the color they are."

Elsa kept her gaze glued to her lap, but he could see her cheeks tint with a slight flush. Noah grinned. "That's okay, most people think that when they look at me. My mom tells me that my eyes are a very unique shade of green. Dark but vivid." He paused, watching Elsa nod in agreement. "Elsa, I wanted you to know what I can do because I know that you have some things that you want to keep secret. I didn't want you to accidentally show me what you were trying to hide from everyone. I've come to respect privacy, and I'll give you yours. I want to be your friend, but I want you to know what I can do. That way…well, you can keep things hidden if you want to."

Noah paused, wishing that she didn't want to keep anything hidden from him. Once again, he had the strangest urge to get to know her, to know all of her. "Just so you know, I haven't been able to read anything about you yet. I've only gotten a couple glimpses of your eyes, and every time, I've only been able to read a single thought or emotion. The first time was on the playground in second grade, and you were regretting not talking to me. The next time was this morning when I said I wanted to sit beside you at lunch. And you wanted to know why. The third was just now. I promise I don't know anything you don't want me to."

She nodded, keeping her gaze directed at her lap. Noah hoped that one day she wouldn't mind sharing things with him. He also hoped that she'd speak to him at some point. But he was sure that would take a while. Not that she didn't trust him. He actually got the feeling that she trusted him more than she did anyone else. But he guessed that she was trying to keep herself from getting hurt unintentionally. She was keeping her distance to save herself…and maybe even him. When that thought came to him, Noah frowned. He wasn't sure what she would be saving him from.

Noah reached out to place a hand on her knee. Once again, she flinched at his touch and pulled away from him. Noah frowned again. "You don't like being touched, do you?" He sighed when she shook her head. "I'm sorry. I'll try not to from now on. I just wanted you to know that I'll be here for you, okay? I can tell you need a friend. To be honest, I need one too. A lot of the kids think I'm weird because I'm so calm and quiet. I'm different, so they think it's strange. I have a feeling that's been some of your problem too."

Elsa nodded again. She leaned back against the tree, closing her eyes and relaxing. Noah watched the tension ease out of her muscles. He glanced at his watch, noticing that they didn't have much longer outside. He decided to stay with her. He leaned back against the tree too, thoughts still focused on the beautiful girl beside him.

* * *

"You seem happier than normal, Noah. Something good happen today?" his mother asked as he climbed in the car after school.

Noah grinned. "Elsa's in my class, Mom! And she sits right next to me," he said excitedly.

Sarah smiled at him as she pulled away from the building. "That's great! So did you talk to her?"

"Yes ma'am. I sat with her during lunch and talked to her a lot. She didn't say anything back, but I think she was enjoying me talking to her. And I sat with her outside at recess and talked to her then too. Actually, I…" He paused. His mother had always told him to keep his gift a secret. Life was dangerous for Marked children. But something had told him that telling Elsa was the right thing to do today, and he hoped that his mother would understand that. "Mom, I told her about me. About my…gift."

"Noah!"

He held up a hand. "Mom, before you get upset, let me explain. I just… I felt like I owed it to her. I know she's trying to hide something. And you know me, if she looks into my eyes just once while she's thinking about it, I'll know exactly what's going on. I couldn't…I just couldn't do that to her, Mom. I just want to respect her privacy. Plus, she doesn't talk at all. The teacher actually knew that already and skipped her name during roll call. So I think my secret is safe with her."

His mother frowned. "Well, I suppose. Still, you know we want you to keep quiet about this. Marked kids are never treated well by their unMarked peers. That's why they don't Mark you until sixteen now. We just don't want you to get hurt. Do you understand?"

Noah nodded, a serious expression on his face. "Yes ma'am. I understand. But something just told me it was the right thing to do. I know she won't tell anyone, Mom. She's not like that."

Sarah sighed. "All right. But in the future, talk to me or your father first before you tell someone. We're trying to keep you safe, at least until you're old enough to protect yourself."

"Yes ma'am," Noah answered soberly.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Well, here we are with chapter 3! Posting it a little earlier than I would have because I'm going out of town this weekend. This chapter will be where we really start to see what goes on with Elsa in her home. I didn't exactly write all of this in the previous versions of this story, so this will largely be a side we haven't seen yet. Also, I would like to stress this now: the parents I have created for Elsa are NOT her parents from the movie. I couldn't ever see them doing something like this. So think of them as completely different people!**

 **WARNINGS: mild-ish violence/abuse, so if that bothers you, be warned**

* * *

Chapter 3

Elsa let out a sigh of exhaustion, leaning against the kitchen counter. She glanced at the clock on the stove. She had barely finished before her mother came home. She would likely be walking through the door any minute now. Elsa sent up a silent prayer of thanks that she had finished her chores on time. There was always a beating if she didn't. They were getting less forgiving as the years went on. Even though she was only ten, they seemed to think that she could clean the entire house in just a couple hours.

She put away the cleaning supplies and ran up the stairs to get a quick shower. She would have to be extremely fast, but she could probably get it done before her mother called for her to come downstairs. She turned the water on and got in instantly, not bothering to wait for it to heat up. She bathed at the speed of light, barely noticing the twinge in her ribs that was leftover from a few nights ago. When she got out of the shower, she paused to listen. She didn't hear her mother, but that didn't mean she wasn't home. Elsa dried off quickly and threw some clothes on. Just as she walked out of her bathroom, she heard a door slam.

"Kid! Get your ass down here, now," her mother shouted. Elsa flinched at her tone of voice.

She raced downstairs, trying to be quick but quiet at the same time. Her mother hated it when she made noise. She made her way quickly into the kitchen, staring submissively at the floor when she saw her mother. "Yes ma'am?"

Her mother sneered, looking at her as if she was something disgusting. "Do you see this?" she asked harshly, grabbing Elsa by the braid and dragging her over to the stove. There was a minuscule speck of grime on the stovetop. Elsa's stomach dropped.

"Y-yes ma'am," she whispered.

"And why is it there?"

Elsa blinked, trying to brace herself for the impending strike. She tried to force herself to answer her mother, but the words came out as a mumble, barely more than a whisper. She flinched when her mother's hand drew back. A sharp slap echoed in the kitchen, stinging against Elsa's cheek.

"Speak UP!"

She hurried to comply. "I must have m-missed it," she said shakily.

Her mother snorted with disgust. Her dark brown hair hung in perfect curls around her face. Elsa hated those curls, hated that her mother was the picture of perfect and no one ever guessed that she was abusive to her own child. She grabbed Elsa's shirt, dragging her forward and shoving her face within inches of Elsa's own. "Don't you dare let it happen again."

"Y-yes ma'am."

The woman released Elsa's shirt. "Go start some bathwater for me. And don't you dare let it get too hot like last time," she said, giving Elsa a shove.

Elsa stumbled out of the kitchen, heart racing as she made her way quickly to her parents' bathroom. She hurriedly turned on the water, letting it run for a little bit to warm up, testing the water to make sure it was the right temperature. As she waited for the tub to fill, she let her thoughts wander for a bit. She desperately wished that she could tell Noah what was going on. She wished she was brave enough. It would be so easy to tell him, with his ability. All she had to do was look into his eyes. But she just couldn't bring herself to do it.

When the tub was full, Elsa turned the water off and ran to fetch her mother. "The bath is ready, mother."

"Good. Now get out of my sight. I don't want to see you for the rest of the day."

"Yes ma'am." Elsa let out a quiet sigh of relief when her mother had gone. Her father would be home in a few minutes, and he would likely come up to her room after he'd gotten a few drinks under his belt, since he hadn't come to her room in a few days. But she would probably have a couple hours to herself. She made her way quickly upstairs and pulled out her homework for the day. She always managed to get it done, even if she had to stay up late into the night. She didn't want her grades to slip at all, and she certainly didn't want anyone to guess what went on at home.

Even with her miserable home life, this year had been the best of Elsa's life so far. She was in Noah's class at school, and she even sat beside him. He spent every single moment of the school day with her. His presence was such a comfort to her and he always knew what to say or do to make her feel better. She guessed that was because his ability made it easy for him to tell when she needed something.

Elsa stood up from her desk when she'd finished her homework. It had been about thirty minutes since she'd heard her father come in. She probably had another hour before he would come up to visit her. He usually came up to her room a few times a week. There was rarely a purpose to his visits, other than to take out his frustrations on her. He knew she was terrified of him, and he took sick pleasure in making her tremble. He normally used her terrified silence as an excuse to hit her. Elsa shook her head, trying to get rid of her thoughts. She made her way to her bed, flopping down onto the covers. She figured she could get in a short nap before he came up. She normally slept in thirty minute increments anyway. Elsa closed her eyes, sleep finding her almost instantly.

The next thing she knew, a hand was gripping her braid and yanking her head backwards, startling her from sleep. She sucked in a breath when she realized what had happened. Either she had overslept, or her father had come up quicker than she'd expected. The man leaned close to her, putting his mouth right by her ear. She could smell the alcohol on his breath and it almost made her gag.

"Who said you could sleep?" he whispered.

Elsa shivered. She knew she would regret the decision to take a nap. "Looks like I don't need an excuse this time," he said viciously. "You've given me plenty of reason to beat the shit out of you. Now stand up," he ordered.

She stood quickly, avoiding her father's gaze. "Look at me," he snapped. She desperately tried to obey, but her eyes refused to leave the floor. He reached out to grasp her arm, squeezing her so hard that she was sure there would be a new bruise there by morning. "I said look at me!" he yelled. Elsa yanked her gaze away from the floor, forcing herself to look into his eyes. The brown of his irises was so dark that it could have passed for black. His golden hair was perfectly trimmed, every aspect of his appearance just as flawless as his wife's, excluding his slightly bloodshot eyes. Elsa couldn't help the shiver that raced down her spine.

"Next time, don't you dare go to sleep before I get up here," he said roughly. It obviously didn't matter that he didn't have a pattern to his visits, and she could never predict what day he would come upstairs. He struck out at her, hitting the arm he had just been gripping. Elsa sucked in a sharp breath at the pain. That first hit got the ball rolling. He took it slowly, tormenting her. She tried to shut it out, tried to ignore the pain as he struck her. He didn't have very good aim, but he was strong. He always raised new bruises. Elsa was lucky that he didn't hit her hard enough to break any bones. Not very often, anyway.

Just as her father drew his fist back for another hit, a voice called to them from the bottom of the stairs. "Eric, it's MS! They want to talk to you…and the brat too," Elsa's mother said.

Her father growled. "Just a minute, Liv." He pulled Elsa toward him, his face centimeters from her own. "You say _anything_ wrong, and I will beat the ever-loving shit out of you, you understand?"

Elsa nodded frantically.

Eric growled with frustration. "Get your ass downstairs. Now," he said forcefully, shoving her toward the door. Elsa almost ran from the room, racing down the stairs as quietly as she could. She walked into the living room, standing a few feet away from her mother. Her father came in behind her, taking the phone and speaking to someone on the other end of the line. His voice was so completely different when he wasn't talking to Elsa. He sounded pleasant, happy to be talking to them. Elsa stood behind him quietly, waiting until they needed to talk to her. Finally, he thrust the phone in her direction, glaring at her threateningly.

Elsa took the phone, putting it to her ear. She hated these phone calls. She never liked to talk to people. At least it was just a phone call this time and not an actual visit. "Hello?" she said quietly.

"Elsa. It's Mr. Davis, from Marked Services. How are you doing?"

Elsa bit her lip. "I'm fine."

A pause. "That's good. I'm just calling for a routine checkup. We've been keeping up with your performance at school, as usual. You're doing wonderful in class. Your teacher is very impressed with you and we're happy to say that your grades are fantastic."

"Thank you, sir," Elsa answered quietly.

Mr. Davis continued. "Have you had any trouble with your ability recently? Any accidents?" he asked.

"No sir." She rarely ever had issues with her ability, mostly because every time she had ever used it around her parents, intentionally or not, they had beaten her until she could hardly breathe. She learned really quickly to keep her ability shut off. But when she was alone, she eased off her control a little. At night, she would let the temperature in her room drop until it felt more natural to her, which was admittedly closer to freezing than it was to a normal room temperature. And if she was feeling particularly moody or depressed, she would make small sculptures out of ice or snow, or sometimes just sit on her bed in a gentle snowfall. Using her ability always helped to calm her down.

The man from MS plowed on with his questions. "Good, good. Have you been having trouble with anyone at school?"

"No sir," she answered once again. It actually wasn't a lie this year.

"Perfect," the man replied. He paused for a few seconds again. "One last question, Elsa. Are you doing okay at home? Have your parents been helping you when you need it? We know that Control abilities are sometimes hard to handle on your own."

Elsa glanced at her father. He was still glaring at her. "Yes sir. Everything is fine. They've been helping me out a lot."

"That's great, Elsa. Well, that's all I need really. Now remember, in six months we'll be coming for your annual. It'll be on your birthday, just like usual. And Elsa, if you can, try to keep your ability a secret. Marked life can be rough for kids if you're found out, and we want you to be as safe as possible." He paused momentarily. "As always, if you need any help, for any reason, just give us a call, okay?"

"I will. Thank you," Elsa said softly. She finished exchanging pleasantries with the man and hung up. She glanced at her father. He was looking at her as if he wanted to continue what he'd been doing before the phone had interrupted. Elsa returned her gaze to the floor. She couldn't handle that look.

Eric huffed out a sigh. "Go on, get out of here. I don't want to hear another peep out of you for the rest of the night."

Elsa couldn't believe her ears. He was done with her for the night? Before he could change his mind, she fled the room, returning to her own. She sent up another prayer of thanks, still not believing her luck. That phone call had saved her quite a few bruises. Granted, her father would probably make the next time worse just to make up for what he missed tonight. But at least she got a small break. He'd been extremely angry with her for being asleep when he came up. She'd been saved by the phone.

She collapsed on her bed, thoughts turning to the conversation she'd just had. Marked Services always made her angry. Their phone calls were completely useless. She supposed it was just a policy for them, something they were required to do. They never asked useful questions, never said anything that made her trust them. Mostly, they were there to get the Marked out of sticky situations. But she had never trusted them enough to get her out of her own. The first time she had seen them had been when she was five. They came once a year after that for an annual checkup, but they didn't check her thoroughly enough to make her parents quit hitting her, so once again, they felt useless to her.

With a sigh, Elsa closed her eyes. It was relatively early, but she would likely go to sleep anyway. She was always short on sleep. Unfortunately, sleep was a long time in coming. When it finally did reach her, it was plagued with nightmares. She spent most of the night waking up every thirty minutes in a cold sweat. She was more than used to this, but it still upset her. She couldn't seem to get away from the horrors of her life. Just one more reason to refrain from looking at Noah's eyes. She didn't want to get him involved in all this mess.

* * *

The next day at school, Elsa did her best to hide her exhaustion from Noah. She figured it was useless though. He could probably tell with one glance. She still wasn't entirely sure what all he could tell just by looking at her. It was a strange concept to her. She had never met another Marked before, at least not that she knew. She'd known that there were a bunch of different abilities, no two exactly the same, but finding someone with one that was so different from her own was a little strange. She guessed he wasn't even in the same category as her; of the three, he was likely a Mental, not a Control like her, and certainly not a Physical.

Sure enough, Noah mentioned something to her when they were at lunch. He sat down in his usual place beside her, immediately digging into his food. After a few mouthfuls, he glanced at her with concern. "Are you okay, Els? You seem really tired." Elsa had to bite her lip to keep from smiling. He'd started using that nickname a few weeks after school began, and it always made her smile. It made her feel special. She couldn't imagine why he thought she was worth a nickname, but it made her happy all the same. Finally remembering his question, she nodded her head, even though she felt very far from okay.

Noah seemed to understand. "Didn't get much sleep last night?" he asked.

Elsa shook her head.

"Well, when we go out for recess today you can take a nap if you want. I'll let you lay your head in my lap."

Elsa tilted her head to the side, once again wishing she had the guts to speak to him. He was so kind to her. He was always doing things like this, things that surprised her. He seemed to truly care about her. The thought made her frown slightly. He would certainly be the first to care about her. She nodded her head at his statement, glancing back at her food and picking at it, not really hungry.

Once again, Noah read her mood instantly. "You better eat that or I won't let you have my extra cookie." She bit her lip again, holding back a small chuckle. She dutifully ate her food, doing it more to please him than for the cookie that he'd brought her. Still, she accepted it when he offered it to her, smiling softly in thanks.

The hours between lunch and recess passed by incredibly slowly for Elsa. She tried to focus on her work, but her mind kept wandering. She'd gotten less sleep the previous night than she normally did, even though she'd gone to bed earlier than usual. The nap that Noah offered her was sounding more wonderful by the minute. Finally, the teacher led them out into the hallway. Elsa sighed. She didn't even bother bringing her book this time, though she smiled when she noticed that Noah had brought one.

They walked across the playground together when they'd made it outside. Noah sat down first, stretching his legs out in front of himself and crossing them at the ankles. He patted his legs, smiling up at Elsa. She sat down beside him and leaned back, resting her head in his lap. She closed her eyes, drinking in the feel of his warmth.

"Get some sleep, Els. I'll wake you up when they call us to go back inside." Elsa nodded, allowing herself to slip away, for once enjoying a dreamless sleep. When she was gently shaken awake, she noticed that she had shifted a little in her sleep. Her cheek was pressed against Noah's stomach. She sat up quickly when she realized that, a flush tinting her cheeks.

"Time to go inside," Noah said softly. He stood up, waiting for her to stand up as well before starting toward the school building. "You were sleeping hard," Noah added with a smile. Elsa nodded in response. It had been some of the best rest that she'd gotten in a long time. She felt wonderfully refreshed.

The rest of the school day passed by in a blur. Before she knew it, she was walking out the side door of the building, heading for home. It wasn't a very quick walk, but she always favored walking over taking the bus. Kids apparently felt free to bully on the bus, so Elsa always walked home. It didn't bother her much. She'd gotten used to walking. She'd been doing it since she started school.

Elsa let her thoughts wander as she made her way home. She knew she would likely have quite a beating coming tonight. Luckily, the next day was Friday. He always got completely hammered on Fridays and never bothered to come to her room, usually skipping Saturday, and sometimes Sunday, as well. She would have some time to recover from tonight's impending trauma. When she'd finally made it home, she rushed to complete her chores for the day. Her mother must have been satisfied when she came in, because Elsa didn't hear her call after she'd gotten out of the shower. Or maybe her mother simply knew the hell that Elsa's father was going to put her through that night and didn't bother calling her down. Maybe she wanted him to have more time.

When he came up the stairs that night, Elsa knew this would likely be a night that she wouldn't forget for a long time. He was more drunk than usual, as if he had started drinking at work and continued until he came up to her room. He stumbled through her door, reeking of alcohol. Elsa nearly groaned when she noticed the bottle in his hand. The nights when he brought more alcohol up with him were always the worst.

Elsa closed her eyes through most of it. She had to bite her lip during the worst parts, biting so hard that she drew blood. A few tears escaped her eyes without her knowledge, which only made her father hit harder. She tried to focus a little more for the rest of his beating, tried to control her tears until after he'd left. By the time he was done with her, she was just barely coherent. She had enough sense left to check herself for blood before she collapsed on her mattress. By some miracle, the only blood she could find was from her bitten lip. With a sigh, she fell onto the bed, grunting in pain. She didn't even bother covering herself up. She didn't have the strength. Just before she succumbed to sleep, she thought of Noah, wishing that she was falling asleep in his lap once again. The temperature in her room dropped drastically as she closed her eyes.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: Sorry for the wait, guys! Like I said, I was out of town this past weekend, and it took longer than expected for me to find the time to do a last proofread of this and get it posted. But here it is! Once again, this will seem a little familiar to those of you that have read BYB and the Moments stories. But things are quite a bit different this time around. Also, from here on out, nothing will match up again. This scene and the first are the only two I pulled from the original stories. So completely new stuff now!**

 **And of course, thanks to everyone who has read, reviewed, favorited, and/or followed! It means a lot to me! And I'm super glad you guys are enjoying the story :) that being said, on to the chapter! Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 4

Noah had a feeling that he would never forget his first year of middle school. To begin with, he was miserable every single day. After having hours each day spent in Elsa's company the previous year, not having a single class with her at all was torture. Because there were so many students at their school, each grade was split into three groups. Students only had classes with their group mates. And because fate seemed to be cruel, Noah and Elsa were put into different groups.

He could hardly stand it. He saw her occasionally in the halls, but that was it. He didn't even have lunch or gym with her. The days were only bearable because of the letters he wrote her. He had found out which locker was hers in the second week of school, and made a point to write her a letter every single day. He would spend the entire day writing down things as they came to him. His letters reminded him quite a lot of his conversations with her the previous year. He jumped topics quite frequently, but he had a feeling that it would make Elsa smile. He slipped his completed note into her locker at the end of every day.

Noah had to admit that not everything about this year was horrible though. He had actually made two new friends. Kristoff was a blond boy who was almost as tall as Noah, but a little broader. He was relatively quiet compared to most of his classmates, but he was slightly reckless and always up for trying unusual or challenging things. He was a really good guy, and Noah was sure that they would be friends for a long time. His other friend was a petite redheaded girl named Anna. She was incredibly spunky and energetic, and more talkative than anyone Noah had ever met. But she had a heart of gold, and she always looked at the bright side of things.

About halfway through the first semester, they started hanging out with each other on the weekends. They would rotate whose house they went to every weekend, just for a change of scenery. They spent almost every weekend together. Noah kept his ability to himself for quite a long time, but his parents finally gave him permission to tell them after Christmas. They had taken the news much better than Noah expected. He had thought they might be upset with him, but they understood his need for secrecy. In no time, Anna and Kristoff had become Noah's best friends, besides Elsa of course, though he hated that he couldn't talk to Elsa as often as he could them. It almost felt like he was betraying her. So he kept up with his daily letters, hoping that they were good enough.

Luckily, the end of the school year was slowly approaching for them. Noah glanced out of the window, staring wistfully at the bright blue sky. May in Washington was always one of his favorite months. The weather was absolutely perfect. Not too hot, not too cold. It was the only time of the year that Noah thought was better than winter. If he couldn't have snow, then he wanted it to be comfortable outside. With a sigh, Noah turned his attention back to the classroom. The teacher wasn't even teaching right now. It was so close to the end of school that sometimes their lessons consisted of watching movies. This was one of those days. Noah looked back down at the note on his desk, adding a few more thoughts before folding it into a neat square.

The minutes ticked by slowly. Noah watched the hands of the clock for the last several minutes of class. When the bell finally rang, he gathered up his things and made his way quickly out into the hall. He rushed to Elsa's locker and slipped his note inside. He glanced around the hall, looking for a head of platinum blonde hair, but he couldn't see Elsa anywhere. With a sigh, he ambled toward the front of the school. He made his way outside, sitting down on the low wall where he usually met Anna and Kristoff.

A few minutes later, the two walked up and sat down beside him. Anna playfully bumped her shoulder into his. "How was last class?" she asked.

Noah rolled his eyes. "We watched a movie again. _March of the Penguins_ this time. If I had been in the mood, it might have been interesting. But I definitely wasn't, so it was pretty boring. I spent most of the period staring out of the window."

Kristoff huffed out a sarcastic laugh. "Better than ours. We had a quiz today. I mean, seriously? It's Friday, and it's almost the end of the year. Enough quizzes already." He paused, turning to lean back against a column. "My mom will be a little late today guys, she had to pick up my dog from the vet."

"That's all right," Anna said politely.

Noah nodded. "Yeah, it's fine. Actually, I think I'll walk home today. But I'll hang here with you guys until your mom gets here, Kris." Conversation lulled between them for a little bit, the three of them content to just sit in amiable silence. Eventually they started talking again, watching the crowds of kids waiting on their parents thin. About fifteen minutes after the end of school, Kristoff's mother finally showed up. They offered Noah a ride one last time, but he declined. He wanted to enjoy the weather. He waved to Kristoff and Anna as they pulled off, then started for home.

He took his usual route, barely paying any attention to where he was going and instead soaking in the wonderful weather. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, and the temperature was absolutely perfect. He hung his thumbs in his pockets as he walked, humming to himself. He was in a particularly good mood today, but when he turned a corner to take a shortcut between two buildings, Noah stumbled to a halt, his good mood quickly evaporating.

Halfway down the alley, lying crumpled on the ground, was Elsa. Jace was standing above her, another boy that Noah didn't recognize just behind him. Jace had clearly just kicked out at her ribs. Noah's eyes flicked from the boys to Elsa. She was curled into a ball, back pressed against the brick wall behind her. The second Noah got a glimpse of the blood on her face, his own blood boiled in rage. He took a deep breath and bellowed.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?!" Noah sprinted toward them, sending the boys a murderous glare as they ran away. He wished they had stayed. He really wanted to pulverize the idiots. They would have sorely regretted ever laying a hand on Elsa. His blood raced in his veins as he sped down the alleyway, all thoughts of Jace and the other boy momentarily shoved aside as he came up beside her.

Tears pricked his eyes as he knelt down. He reached out, placing a hand gently on her shoulder. "Elsa, are you all right? What happened?" he asked frantically. In his panic, he didn't seem to realize that both of those questions had obvious answers.

Elsa sat up gingerly, pointedly avoiding his gaze. She looked completely disoriented, swaying a little as she pulled in a shaky breath. He didn't even know how she managed to sit up. She wiped the blood from her split lip with the back of her hand. Noah could see a nasty bruise forming on her cheek. He kept his hand resting on her shoulder, not trusting her balance. He wondered if her head had been hit. She almost looked as if she had a concussion.

She blinked a few times. "Fine," she mumbled.

Noah clenched his jaw. "Like hell you are. Look at me," he said, slightly rougher than he intended. When she sat there not moving, keeping her gaze directed at the ground, Noah reached out and took her chin gently in one hand. She flinched at his touch, but he didn't let go. He tilted her head up, but she closed her eyes. "Elsa," he said softly. "Look at me."

When she opened her eyes, with obvious reluctance, Noah nearly staggered from the fresh memories that flooded his mind. He saw everything that had happened to her, everything Jace had done. With his hand on her chin, touching her bare skin for what he thought might have been the first time, he could _feel_ every emotion that was coursing through her veins, could feel them as if they were his own. A tear slipped down his cheek as she broke the eye contact between them.

"Oh God, Elsa. I'm so sorry," he whispered, shifting his hand to rest it against her cheek. He wanted to wrap her in a hug and never let go, but he knew exactly where she hurt and how badly, and he couldn't think of a way to embrace her that would be gentle enough. A few more tears tracked down her cheeks and he brushed them away with his thumb before letting his hand drop.

Noah sat back on his heels, reaching into his pocket for his cell phone. He only used it for emergencies because his parents only paid for a handful of minutes each month. He quickly dialed his mother's number, praying silently that she would pick up. When he heard her answer, he sighed with relief.

"Noah? What's wrong?"

"I'm fine, Mom. Elsa needs some help though. Could you come get us? We're in the alley beside Thompson's." Noah pointedly ignored Elsa's frantic head-shaking.

"Noah, please—" she started, but he frowned at her and she fell silent.

His mother paused for a heartbeat before answering. "Of course, sweetie. Is everything okay?"

"No, Mom, it's not. Can you hurry please?"

"I'll be there as fast as I can."

Noah hung up, placing his phone back in his pocket. Tears were rolling down Elsa's cheeks now. His heart nearly broke in two at the sight. He reached for her hand, grasping it tightly in his own. "Elsa, if you think I'm going to leave you here like this, or even let you walk home on your own, you are absolutely crazy. There's no way I would leave you in this state."

Elsa glanced at the ground, avoiding his gaze. He could tell that she was incredibly thankful. He also read confusion from her though, as if she didn't understand why he was doing this. Noah sighed, sitting down beside her and leaning back against the brick wall. He held her hand the entire time they were waiting for his mother. After what felt like hours, Noah finally saw his mother's car. He sat up on his heels, wrapping an arm under Elsa's and across her back. He pulled her to her feet as gently as he could, wincing when she sucked in a sharp breath at the pain. He helped her limp to the end of the alleyway, walking as slowly as she needed him to. As soon as they reached the car, he opened the door and helped her inside. When she was situated, he ran to the other side of the car, getting in and scooting over to sit beside her.

His mother turned around to glance at Elsa, her face going pale when she saw how bad Elsa looked. "Hi, Elsa. My name is Sarah." She paused for a second. "Are your parents home, sweetie?" When Elsa shook her head, Sarah continued. "Well then, I'm going to take you to our house, get you cleaned up, and then we'll take you home. Okay?"

Elsa nodded. For a second, Noah had been afraid that she would refuse help. But even if she had, he would have insisted. When he had held her chin and looked into her eyes, he had felt all her aches and pains. He knew she needed help, even if she didn't want it.

The car ride home was silent, Noah holding Elsa's hand tight the entire time. When they'd made it to his house, Noah and Sarah both got out of the car. He stopped his mother before she could go around to Elsa's side. "Her leg is hurt kinda bad, Mom. But I don't think it would be a good idea to pick her up. She would probably freak out a little."

Sarah nodded. "Then come help me get her inside."

Once they'd gotten Elsa indoors and seated on the couch in their living room, his mother went immediately to the kitchen for medical supplies. Noah sat right next to Elsa, their thighs touching. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, wishing there was more he could do to comfort her. Noah blinked, startled, when Elsa leaned her head against his shoulder. He'd not been expecting her to do that. She had always seemed so uncomfortable with physical closeness. Noah figured that she was just exhausted now, or maybe just desperately in need of comfort. He tightened his grip on her, resting his head against the top of hers.

His mother came in after a few seconds, a couple different items in her hands. She sat down on Elsa's other side, sorting through what she had brought. She handed Elsa a damp rag, then started opening a package of antiseptic wipes. Elsa stared at the rag in her hand but didn't bother doing anything with it. Sarah glanced at her. "For your split lip, sweetie." When it didn't look like Elsa would do anything, Noah gently pried the rag from her hands and turned her head toward him, tenderly wiping the blood from her face. He dabbed at her lip, trying not to put too much pressure on it. Elsa kept her eyes downcast the entire time, but he could feel the gratitude rolling off her in waves.

When Noah had finished with Elsa's lip, Sarah reached out to keep Elsa turned toward him. She had noticed blood in her hair on the way inside. "Elsa, I'm going to look for the cut that's on the back of your head, all right? I'll be gentle, I promise." Elsa nodded. Sarah started gently separating her hair where it looked like the blood was coming from. When she'd found the cut, she grabbed the rag and dabbed at it to get most of the blood off. She tried to scrub some of it out of Elsa's hair as well. When the cut was as blood free as she could get it, she gently wiped it clean with the antiseptic wipes. Elsa sucked in a sharp breath at the sting of the chemicals. Sarah reached for a wad of gauze and held it to the cut, then moved Elsa's hand so that she could hold it. "Keep that there for a little bit, we'll see if it stops bleeding. If it doesn't, you might need stitches. But I think it'll be fine. It doesn't look too bad."

Sarah dug through her pile of supplies once again, pulling out the arnica gel that she had used so often on Noah's bumps and bruises. She reached out to turn Elsa's head toward her, but the girl inhaled sharply again and flinched away from her. Sarah stopped with her hand still outstretched, worried, watching as a tear rolled silently down Elsa's cheek. She placed her hand back in her lap and glanced at Noah. His face was pale and he was staring at her with eyes that seemed to know why Elsa had pulled away. Wordlessly, Sarah handed the gel to him.

Noah took the tube of gel from his mother and grasped Elsa's hand. "Elsa," he said softly. She lifted her head just a little, but kept staring at the floor. Noah tenderly rested his hand against her cheek. She flinched, but didn't pull away. "I won't hurt you," he whispered. "I'm going to put some gel on that bruise. It'll help it feel better." After a few seconds of silence, Noah opened the tube and squeezed some gel onto his finger. He grasped Elsa's chin once again, holding her steady while he applied the gel. She kept her eyes closed while he worked. Noah didn't need clear sight to notice the relief etched onto her features as the medicine started to work. Noah smiled a little as he finished. "There, all done."

Elsa tilted her head back down, opening her eyes when she couldn't see into Noah's by accident. She glanced at Sarah for a minute, then flicked her gaze toward Noah. "Thank you," she whispered.

"You're welcome, sweetie," Sarah said softly. "Should I call your parents? Noah said your leg was hurting pretty badly."

Noah narrowed his eyes as Elsa went pale, shaking her head. "It's fine," she said quietly.

"Elsa—" he started.

She put a hand on his arm, bringing her head up and looking directly into his eyes. _Please,_ she thought. _Please, just let it go._

Noah twitched, the weight of her emotions almost making him physically ache. Once again, he felt everything as she looked at him with her hand on the bare skin of his arm. He felt a little more than he thought she would want him to know, so he broke the eye contact quickly. "Okay," he whispered. Her emotions still lingered in his mind. She was grateful, and some of the pain was relieved, but there were more emotions that worried him. She was terrified, nervous about him finding out her secret almost to the point of being sick. Noah desperately wanted to know what she was hiding, but he wasn't about to force her to tell him. He would wait until she was ready. Noah glanced at his mother, just barely shaking his head when she looked at him questioningly.

After a little while of sitting in silence, Sarah gently took Elsa's hand from the gauze she was holding against her head. Sarah removed the gauze, watching the cut for a few seconds. It appeared to have stopped bleeding. She sighed in relief. "It looks like the bleeding has stopped. I think you'll be okay, dear." After a few more seconds, she decided they should probably get her home. "Elsa, where do you live, sweetheart?"

"213. Five doors down," she said, her voice barely audible.

Noah blinked. "You live on our street?" He smiled a little when she nodded in response. "Well I wish I'd known that." Elsa glanced at him again, her eyes meeting his and telling him a thousand things at once. The thing he felt the most was her desperate wish that he'd never found out. _You can't ever come over_ , she thought. The good thing about Noah's ability was the fact that he could discern the meaning behind people's statements. He knew without a shadow of a doubt that Elsa really wished that he could come over, but her parents would never allow it. The look in her eyes gave Noah a prickly feeling on the back of his neck. He broke eye contact again, biting his lip. He was so close to her secret. It was practically right in front of his nose. But he just couldn't figure it out. She was doing her best to hide it from him. Noah jumped a little when he heard his mother jingle the car keys. He hadn't even noticed that she'd stood up to retrieve them.

"Let's get you home, dear," his mother said softly. Noah stood up to help her get Elsa to the car. If Elsa even tried to put weight on her left leg, she sucked in a sharp breath of pain. When they'd gotten her in the car, Noah climbed in beside her, holding her hand once again. The drive to her house was quick, lasting only a few seconds. Sarah pulled up into the driveway and then got out to help Noah walk Elsa to the door. Elsa pulled her keys out of her pocket and unlocked the door, slipping out from under Noah's arm and attempting to walk inside. He watched her jaw clench as she took a step forward.

Noah glanced uneasily at his mother before looking back at Elsa. "Els, is your room on the second floor?" he asked. When she nodded, he reached out to stop her from walking any farther. "Let me help you upstairs." She didn't put up any resistance, so he pulled her arm back over his shoulder, looking back at his mother as they walked inside. "Be right back, Mom." They made their way slowly inside, Noah taking most of Elsa's weight. When they'd made it to the stairs, he helped her up one step at a time. By the time they were halfway up, her breathing had quickened and she was clenching her jaw so hard that Noah could see a muscle twitch. When they made it to the top, Noah paused to give her a break. A few tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Which room is yours?" he asked. He walked to the door she pointed to, shoving it open and helping her limp inside. He sat her down on the edge of her bed and glanced around her room. It was incredibly bare, the only things visible being her bed, a desk, and a dresser. He couldn't see any personal items. Nothing that made it look as if anyone really lived in the room. He glanced back at Elsa, watching a few more tears slip down her cheeks before he couldn't take any more. He knelt in front of her and reached up to wipe her tears away.

"Will you be okay by yourself?"

Elsa nodded.

Noah stood up, pausing. He didn't want to leave her, but he knew that he shouldn't be here. "Well, I guess I'll see you Monday then," he said quietly. He made to walk out into the hall, but Elsa surprised him. She stood shakily, taking a step toward him and wrapping her arms around his waist, nestling her head against the crook of his neck. Noah froze for a moment before responding, hugging her gently to his chest. He bit the inside of his cheek to stop the tears from flowing.

"Thank you," she choked out. "So much."

Noah sighed, rubbing her back a little before withdrawing. "I'll always be here for you, Els. No need to thank me."

Elsa glanced at the floor, wiping a few more tears away as she looked down.

"See you at school," Noah said softly. He made his way downstairs and back outside. He couldn't help the slightly sick feeling in his stomach as he left her.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Woo! Chapter 5! This is where we really start deviating, and I'm excited to hear what you guys think about this. This and the next chapter really get to the core of Noah and his ability. We'll also start to see a bit more relationship development between Noah and Elsa! Yay! Oh, and on a completely unrelated note, I'm thinking about posting a oneshot I have written for Big Hero 6 sometime soon. So if you wanna, be on the lookout for that! Anyways, enough of my rambling, on with the chapter!**

* * *

Chapter 5

The ride home from Elsa's was silent. Noah sat in the back seat, tears now slipping silently down his cheeks. He had a terrible feeling that leaving her had been the worst thing he'd ever done. His mother parked the car and sat behind the wheel for a few minutes, eyes unfocused as she stared ahead of her. Eventually, they both got out of the car and made their way inside. His mother sat down on the couch and motioned for him to join her. He collapsed beside her, leaning into her embrace.

"She'll be okay, Noah."

Noah took a minute to wipe away his tears. "I don't know if she will, Mom. I've got a horrible feeling that I shouldn't have left her."

Sarah nodded. "I know. I do too. But her parents will take care of her."

"I hope so."

They sat there in silence for a few more minutes, Sarah hugging Noah tightly to her side with an arm around his shoulders. She rarely ever saw this side of her son, not anymore. He had become necessarily indifferent to most things after a few years of fully understanding his ability. It was almost unsettling to see him so upset. She guessed that Elsa really meant a lot to him, for him to get so worked up over her condition.

After a few more minutes of quiet, Sarah remembered Elsa flinching away from her touch. "Noah, do you know why Elsa didn't want me to touch her face?"

He pulled back from his mother, looking her in the eyes. She was worried, confused, and a little hurt. But more than anything, he saw concern in her eyes. "Well, she doesn't really like being touched. And she was terrified. I think she thought you were going to hit her."

Sarah clenched her jaw. "Do you know why?"

Noah shook his head. "No ma'am. I couldn't see her eyes at the time. I guess just because she doesn't know you, and she'd just gotten beat up pretty badly." He was silent for a few minutes, his thoughts turning to what had happened in the alley. "Mom…can I try something?"

She cocked her head to the side, curious. "Sure."

He took a deep breath, laying a hand against the bare skin of her arm. "Think about Elsa and look at me." He stared into his mother's eyes, trying to reproduce the feeling he'd had with Elsa. He couldn't remember ever being able to feel someone's emotions when he looked into their eyes, but he also couldn't remember if he'd ever looked at someone while touching their skin. He read a multitude of things from his mother's eyes, could sense a host of strong emotions, but he couldn't feel any of them. With a frown, he broke eye contact and looked down at the floor.

"What's wrong?" his mother asked.

Noah opened his mouth to answer, but closed it again when nothing came out. He wasn't sure how to answer her. He didn't know what had caused his strange connection to Elsa, but it wasn't a negative thing, whatever it was. "Something strange happened today," he said eventually. "When I found Elsa in the alleyway, at first she didn't want me to know what happened. She tried telling me that she was fine, but I didn't believe her. So I took her by the chin and tilted her head up. When she looked at me…" He shook his head, still puzzled. "I saw everything that happened, but…Mom, I _felt_ it all. Every emotion she was feeling, I felt as if it were my own. Every ache and pain that she felt, I felt. I thought it might have been because I was touching her bare skin, but it didn't do that with you."

Sarah frowned, silent for a while as she thought about what he said. "I don't know what to tell you, son." She paused for a second. "Do you want to call MS, see if they can help you?"

"No, it's fine," he said, shaking his head. "I don't think it's a bad thing. It just confused me."

"Well, if you change your mind, let me know and we'll give them a call."

Noah nodded his head. "Mom, would you mind if I walked home from now on? I want to walk with Elsa, make sure that doesn't happen again."

Sarah smiled, marveling at her son's caring nature. "That would be fine. I think she'd appreciate that."

* * *

Noah spent the entire weekend worrying about Elsa. He had to stop himself from walking to her house multiple times. He knew she would likely get into trouble if he showed up. It would just make things worse, so he resisted temptation and stayed home. But it didn't stop him from thinking about her. She was always on his mind. A thousand thoughts raced through his head almost constantly, making it hard to concentrate.

On top of that, he kept feeling flashes of emotions that felt a little…out of place. He would be out in the yard, laughing and playing with Bear, and a sudden flash of intense sadness would wash over him. Or he would be sitting in the living room with his parents, watching a movie, and misery would completely overtake his thoughts. He brushed it off to begin with, thinking that it was just his thoughts about Elsa hitting him at random moments. But the more he thought about it, the more that didn't feel like the right answer.

By Sunday evening, Noah felt like he was going crazy. He could hardly stand not knowing if Elsa was okay. He spent most of the day in his room, lying on his bed and staring at the ceiling. His mother had brought him lunch, but he hadn't eaten much of it. He still couldn't shake the feeling that he never should have left Elsa, that he should have tried to figure out her secret. He knew it was eating her up on the inside. Still, his less-emotional side knew that he was doing the right thing. She needed to come to him about it. She had to be able to trust him, and if he forced her secret out of her, how could she?

As Noah stared absently at the ceiling, he heard a soft knock on his bedroom door. The door creaked slightly as it was opened. "Noah," his mother said quietly. He ignored her, eyes unfocused as thoughts of Elsa raced through his mind. His mother came to sit down beside him on the edge of the bed, reaching out to brush his hair away from his eyes.

"Noah, you really need to come down and eat dinner." She sighed when he didn't answer. "What's gotten into you, son? I know you're worried about her, but don't you think this is a bit…" She trailed off. She didn't want to say dramatic, because her son had never been dramatic. But this was strange behavior for him.

Noah blinked a few times, turning his head to glance at his mother as if just noticing she was there. "I'm sorry, Mom. I just… This is going to sound strange, but I don't think these emotions are mine," he said quietly. He'd had this theory since the night before, and he'd spent most of the day today trying to figure out if he was right.

Sarah cocked her head to the side. "Whose emotions would they be?"

Noah sat up, wrapping his arms around his knees and glancing at his mother, hoping that she didn't think he was crazy. "I think they're Elsa's," he whispered. He knew it sounded insane, but it was the only thing that made sense to him. He'd never felt anything so strongly before. He was usually able to look at things from an objective point of view. He _had_ to. He wouldn't be able to handle his "gift" if he didn't. But everything with Elsa had been different. Sure, he was worried about her. But these flashes of emotions he kept getting made no sense for him to be feeling.

"What do you mean you think they're Elsa's? How is that possible?" his mother asked, the barest hint of panic in her voice. Noah kept his gaze away from hers, directed at the covers on his bed.

"I don't know. But they just aren't…me. You've been thinking the same thing, I know." He paused, running a hand through his hair. "Mom, I've been feeling…depressed. Terrified. Miserable. And lonely, so _so_ lonely. There's a sadness so deep and so powerful that I'm almost physically aching. Here," he said, placing a hand over his heart. "I've cried about ten times today, and for no apparent reason at all. The only thing that even halfway explains this is that I'm feeling what Elsa is feeling."

Sarah stared at her son, momentarily at a loss for words. Eventually, she found her voice. "I'm going to call MS, okay? Maybe they'll have some guesses about what's going on. Or maybe even some answers."

Noah nodded. He watched his mother walk downstairs to place the phone call, feeling a little scared. Nothing like this had ever happened before. He hoped there was nothing wrong with him. But if he looked past the emotions and the fear that was on the surface, if he looked deep inside himself, this actually felt as if a missing piece of himself had been put into place. He didn't know how to explain it, other than that it felt right.

A few minutes later, his mother walked into the room with a phone in her hand. "They want to talk to you."

Noah wordlessly took the phone from her and raised it to his ear. "Hello?"

"Noah. It's good to hear from you. Your mother says you have a few concerns about your ability. Could you describe to me exactly what's been going on? Start with what you feel was the beginning."

He explained everything he could think of to the man, every moment from when he'd found Elsa in the alleyway. He told him about every emotion, every thought. He told him his theory, and what happened when he touched Elsa's skin and read her at the same time. If he'd thought MS might have an explanation for him, he was sorely disappointed. By the time he'd finished his tale, the man on the other end of the line didn't seem to have any immediate help to offer him.

"Noah," the man said. "Let me consult with some experts that we have here. There are a few Readers here that I can talk to and they might can tell us what's going on. It might be a few days, but we'll call you back. If anything changes between now and then, call us straight away. Can you do that?"

"Yes sir."

"Good. Let me speak to your mother again, if you don't mind. And don't worry, we'll figure this out."

Noah handed his mother the phone again, then rested his chin on his knees. The man from MS didn't sound worried about what Noah had told him. That was the only consolation though. He had sounded just as confused as Noah felt. Hopefully the other Readers that he was going to talk to would be able to help.

When Sarah hung up, she came to sit back down beside Noah. She pulled him into her arms, hugging him tightly. "We'll figure this out, Noah." He nodded against her, gripping her tightly as a wave of terror washed over him. He blinked, startled. That _definitely_ hadn't been his. He shook his head, trying to focus on his own emotions, trying to figure out what _he_ was feeling. His mother didn't seem to notice the episode. She pulled back from him, pushing his hair away from his forehead with a smile. "Come on, let's go down and eat dinner before it gets cold." Noah nodded and followed, still a little shaken.

* * *

By the following morning, Noah felt a little bit more like himself, but still off. Every now and then he would still get a flash of a random emotion that wasn't his, something that had nothing to do with what he was doing at the time. He had been in the middle of a pleasant conversation with his mother, eating a bowl of cereal, when a sharp pang of misery flowed through him. Just as he made his way upstairs to fetch his backpack, he'd felt a flash of relief. He was almost positive that his theory was correct. However, he still had no idea _why_ he was feeling Elsa's emotions.

Noah kissed his mother goodbye and made his way slowly out of the door. He followed his usual route to school on instinct, his thoughts still focused too much on Elsa to be able to think of anything else. When he made it to the alleyway where he'd found her on Friday, he had to suppress a shudder. He would have to alter his route from now on just to skip this place. Suddenly, he felt a rush of some unknown emotion, his heart pounding furiously in his chest. He frowned. He'd never felt that before. He halted in the middle of the alleyway, head cocked to one side. Something told him to turn around.

When he did, he saw Elsa standing at the other end of the alley, a hand stretched out to brace herself against one of the buildings. He could tell she was keeping most of the pressure off her left leg. She avoided his gaze, but he knew without a doubt that the rush of emotions he had just felt had come from her. He couldn't puzzle out what they meant, but at least he knew now that his theory had been correct.

Before he had even consciously made the decision to go to her, his feet were carrying him in her direction. She stood rooted to the place where she'd stopped, her gaze directed at the ground, but her thoughts most certainly on him. Noah's pulse accelerated with hers as he got closer. When he was barely half a foot away from her, he stopped, hooking his thumbs in his pockets to keep from reaching out and pulling her into an embrace.

"Elsa, are you—" Noah cut himself off, swallowing hard. "Your leg still hurts, doesn't it?"

She seemed to debate answering him truthfully, but she nodded her head after a few seconds. Noah sighed, caving to temptation and reaching out for her hand. "I'm sorry," he said softly. He half expected her to pull her hand out of his grasp, or even to tense up, but she ended up gripping his hand tightly. It was almost as if she'd been wanting to do that as much as he had.

Noah moved to stand directly in front of her, taking her other hand and holding it as well. "Look, I want to do something. Meet me outside the school this afternoon, at the side door you usually go out. Wait for me there. I want to walk home with you."

She blinked a few times and then surprised him by speaking. "You don't have to do that," she mumbled.

"But I want to," he insisted, giving her hands a squeeze. "Every day from now on. Every year. Rain or shine, I'll walk with you. Promise me?" She nodded, but that wasn't enough for him. He brought a hand up, rubbing his thumb across her jaw before tilting her head up. He had to suppress a shiver as her pleasure at his gesture washed through him. "Look at me and promise," he said softly.

He could feel her hesitancy, could feel her warring emotions. She had an overwhelming desire to do as he said, but at the same time the thought that she probably shouldn't let him. With one hand still holding her chin up and the other gripping her hand tightly, he felt the exact moment that she gave in. Her eyes flicked up to his and Noah's breath caught in his throat. _I promise_ , she thought. He was hit with a wave of emotions from her, with an overwhelming sense of gratitude…and that emotion that he couldn't put a name to. She stared at his eyes for a moment before finally dropping her gaze. Noah let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. When she broke eye contact with him, he almost staggered. Her emotions had left him in a rush. He felt like himself again, only slightly altered. That feeling of finding a missing puzzle piece didn't leave him. He felt…complete.

It took him a moment to find his voice. "Let me help you walk to school. I'll let you walk by yourself when we get close enough for people to see." He didn't wait for her to agree, but moved immediately to her side, draping her left arm across his shoulders. He gripped her tightly, supporting a large portion of her weight as they continued their walk to school. On the way, he managed to convince her to let him walk with her to school in the mornings as well. He could tell that she hadn't wanted him anywhere near her house that early, so he told her to come to his when she was ready. He would wait on the porch for her every morning.

When the building was within sight, Noah reluctantly let her walk on her own. He could tell that it was difficult for her. But somehow, she was able to walk with barely a limp. No one would notice if they weren't looking for it. He knew she was in pain, but she managed to swallow it and walk normally. He shook his head, amazed. Just as they came to the doors that led into the school, Noah reached out to tap her shoulder. She stopped and turned toward him, waiting. "See you this afternoon," he said quietly, sending her a sad smile. She nodded and continued inside, Noah following just behind her.

Later that day, Elsa kept her word and waited for Noah outside the school building. He had already told Anna and Kristoff that he would be walking Elsa home from now on, so as soon as classes let out, he made his way quickly to their designated meeting place. He decided not to slip his letter into her locker this time, opting to hand it to her instead. He'd been afraid that she would decide halfway through the day that she didn't want him walking her home, so he was relieved when he opened the side door of the school to see her waiting for him.

Noah smiled as he walked up beside her, handing her his folded note. "Here. I thought I'd just hand you this instead of putting it in your locker like usual."

Elsa held the note in her hands, staring at it for a few seconds before glancing around to make sure no one was near. When she was sure no one was close enough to hear her, she spoke. "Thank you," she said softly. "Most days, these letters are the only thing that keeps me going."

Once again, Noah was shocked to hear her speak. He'd gotten so used to only getting gestures as answers from her that hearing her voice felt strange. He had honestly thought it would take longer than it did to get her to speak to him. He supposed that the incident on Friday had helped her to feel more comfortable talking to him. Noah smiled at her and moved to take her hand, almost feeling like skipping when she didn't let go. They started slowly for home, Noah keeping an eye on Elsa and making sure that she didn't push herself too hard. He could tell that a day's worth of walking on an injured leg was starting to get to her. As soon as they were out of sight of the school, he pulled her arm over his shoulder and took most of her weight.

"Noah, I can—"

"No, you can't," he interrupted. "Els, please don't forget that I can sense emotions and feelings. You're hurting. Now let me help you," he said softly. He resumed their slow walk when she nodded in agreement. Regardless of what she told him, he could tell that she was immensely grateful for him helping her. The walk to her house took much longer than it would normally, but Noah didn't want to take any chances with her leg. When they'd made it to her house, he helped her up the porch steps and stood with her outside the front door.

"Elsa, shouldn't you get that leg looked at?"

She instantly dropped her gaze to her feet, giving off such a strong I-don't-want-to-talk-about-this vibe that Noah flinched. "Probably," she mumbled.

Noah reached out and grasped her hand, stroking the back of it with his thumb. "Hey, I'm sorry. I won't bring it up again."

Elsa nodded, grateful. She couldn't have asked for a better friend than Noah. After a few moments of standing there in silence, she decided that it was probably best if she went inside. She still had chores to do, and it would probably take her longer with her injured leg. With a sigh, she gently pulled her hand from his grasp, almost instantly missing the warmth. She reached in her pocket for her keys and unlocked the door. Before opening it, she glanced back at Noah, but still avoided his gaze. She didn't trust herself that much just yet. "Thank you…again," she said softly.

"It's what friends are for," Noah answered with a smile. He watched her walk inside and shut the door, once again wishing that he didn't have to leave her. He made his way down the porch steps and to the sidewalk, turning around once he got there to stare at her house for a few more seconds. She was standing at a window on the bottom floor, watching him leave. With a small wave, Noah turned toward his own house, sighing heavily.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Woo! Another Chapter! We're almost halfway done with this now :) this chapter has a bit of explanation in it, so hopefully if you have any questions or are confused about anything, this will answer them! Also, as always, thanks to everyone that has read, favorited, followed and/or reviewed so far! Thanks to you all, you really make my day :)**

* * *

Chapter 6

When Noah walked inside, he tossed his backpack down beside the door and rushed through the house, looking for his mother. She hadn't been in the living room when he came in, and she wasn't in the kitchen. Noah poked his head out the back door, finding her sitting in a chair on the porch, book in hand. He quickly walked outside, coming up beside her and tapping her shoulder.

"Mom," he said, smiling when she jumped a little. "We need to call MS."

She put her book down and took off her glasses, alarm flashing across her face. "Why? What's happened?"

"Nothing bad," he said, reassuring her. "It's just, they told me to call if anything changed, and it did." He paused for a moment, then noticed the question in his mother's eyes. "I'm myself again. I can't feel Elsa's emotions. Though I know for a fact that they were hers. I saw her this morning on the way to school."

Sarah stood up, putting a hand on Noah's shoulder and gently steering him inside. "Well, let's give them a call then. Why do you think it stopped?"

Noah shrugged. "I don't know. She looked at me again this morning, and when we broke eye contact, all of it just…rushed out of me. It was weird. But I'm not complaining. It feels good to be back to normal."

Sarah had been dialing the number for MS while he spoke, and was now talking to someone on the other end of the line. Noah waited patiently, knowing that they'd want to talk to him to get his account of what happened in detail. After answering a few standard procedure questions, Sarah finally handed the phone to Noah.

"Hello?" he said.

"Hey, Noah. This is Ms. Roper. Your mother said that there has been an improvement in your condition since the last time you spoke with us?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Could you tell me about it?"

Noah complied, describing exactly what had happened that morning with Elsa. He was happy that he was back to normal, but he still hoped that they could help him figure out why it had happened. He had a strange feeling that there was a purpose to the entire event, something important. He told the woman this when he had finished his tale. She told Noah to hold on when he'd finished talking, and the line was silent for a few minutes. Finally, she came back, this time with good news.

"All right, Noah. Your account actually helped our experts confirm their guesses. We were going to call you today anyway, but we're glad that you called and told us of the change. I'm going to put you on the phone with Dr. Brennan, he's the Reader that's been working on your case."

A few seconds later, Noah heard a man speaking. "Hello, Noah. This is Dr. Brennan."

"Hello. Do you know what's been going on?" Noah asked, in a hurry to figure out what had been happening to him.

Dr. Brennan chuckled. "Right to the point, I see. Well, I have a theory, but I'm fairly certain that it's correct. You see, I'm kind of like you. I'm a Reader, only I read emotions a little differently than you do. I see them as colors. Everyone has an aura about them, and the color of it is what helps me to know what they're feeling. Now, I can't see memories like you can, but forty years of reading people's emotions has helped me out a lot. It's helped me develop my theory."

He paused, as if collecting his thoughts. "See, when I was just a little bit older than you, probably around sixteen or so, I had something similar happen. It didn't happen exactly the same way for me because, as I said, I see emotions differently than you do. But there was a girl that I'd met, and for a couple days, my vision blurred with whatever color her emotions were at the time. It threw me off quite a bit. That sounds a little like what's been happening to you, doesn't it?"

"Yeah."

"Well, from the research that I've been doing over the past few years, I think I can come to a certain conclusion. See, there are a few others like us in the world, a few other Readers. There are slight differences in all of our abilities, but they boil down to the same thing: we understand emotions. I've also been studying past Readers, their accounts of their abilities and the changes they experienced. What I've concluded is this: Marked that are like us…we bond to people. So far, I've only found Readers that bonded to one person. Just one, for their whole lives. With that person, they are able to see emotions and feelings much more clearly than they would others. It comes more naturally. And, in some cases, they actually feel what the other feels."

Noah blinked in the silence that followed the man's theory. "So, I've…bonded? To Elsa?"

"That's my theory, yes," Dr. Brennan said.

"But what does it mean? What's going to happen from now on?"

Noah heard the shuffling of papers on the other end of the line. "Well, for the most part, it's different for everyone, based on how your ability works. For me…when I'm in relatively close proximity to my bond-mate, my vision tints with whatever color her emotions are at the time. And no matter how far apart we are, I have a deep-seated sense of her feelings at the most basic level. Even if we are miles apart, I know in my gut if she is happy, or sad, or angry. I'm sure if you focused, you could tell the same about Elsa right now."

There was a pause for a moment as Noah blocked everything out. He closed his eyes, trying to find what Dr. Brennan had been talking about. After a few seconds of nothing, he finally found an emotion that he could tell without a doubt was Elsa's, and not just because he had no reason to feel that way at the time. He could tell it was hers because it _felt_ like her. "Wow, that's…yeah, I can. She's sad. I mean…wow. It _feels_ like her. I know that sounds strange, but I just…there's no way it could be anyone else." He was more than a bit astounded at this new development.

Dr. Brennan chuckled. "That's it. Well, there's that. You'll be more attuned to her feelings. Eventually, you won't have to focus so much to read her at a distance. After a few years of being bonded, I could read my bond-mate's emotions with just a thought. And now, I always know how she's feeling, I don't even have to think about it. I'm still not sure what caused that change, but it happened years ago and I didn't think to study it then." He paused once again, but continued when Noah didn't say anything. "You'll also be more attracted to her."

Noah swallowed. "Uh, do you mean—"

"Oh, no," he said, cutting Noah off. "My apologies. No, I merely meant that it will be difficult for you to be very far from her. You'll likely end up in the same city as her. If she moves, you'll have the urge to move wherever she did. Think of the two of you as very strong magnets. You'll just be drawn to her. I believe that the— magnetism, we'll say— starts even before being bonded. I think that it's part of what causes the bond."

Noah rubbed a hand across the back of his neck. "So, you mean we won't…"

"Well…" the man said carefully, "I married my bond-mate, actually. And there are other accounts of that too. I'd say somewhere around eighty percent of us end up married to our bond-mate. It doesn't always happen, but it's likely."

Noah frowned. It wasn't that he didn't like the idea. Actually, if he was honest with himself, he liked the idea very much. But it almost felt as if he didn't have a choice in the matter, as if he was being forced into this. When he voiced this thought, Dr. Brennan responded quickly.

"No, no, it isn't that way at all. There was something that drew the two of you together in the first place. Noah, I don't know if _you_ believe this, but I am a firm believer in there being somebody for everybody. Let's call it having a soulmate. I firmly believe that the reason you were drawn to Elsa is that she's your soulmate. My bond-mate, my wife, said that even she had felt drawn to me, before I'd bonded to her. And she isn't even Marked. You do have a choice, Noah. No one is forcing you to marry her. But she _is_ the one you are most…compatible with, let's say. Think of it like this: finding your life partner is very much emotion-based. We have such a deep understanding of emotions that it's easy for us to know who we want to spend the rest of our lives with. Our abilities just notice it before we do. That's why we bond."

Noah sighed. He spared his mother a glance for the first time. She had been listening to his half of the conversation, her brow furrowed with concern and a bit of confusion. He sent her an uneasy smile. "That makes sense, I guess. Well…you've definitely given me a lot to think about."

The man chuckled again. "I'm sure I have. Let me talk to your mother for a minute. I'll give her my personal number. If you ever have questions, you call me. I'll do my best to answer them."

"Thank you," Noah said. He handed the phone off to his mother, then sank down in a chair at the breakfast table. His eyes glazed over a little. It certainly hadn't been the explanation that he'd been expecting, but he couldn't say that he didn't like it. The thought of spending the rest of his life with Elsa just felt…right. Still, it almost felt unfair, to know what he did when Elsa didn't have a clue. But he wouldn't tell her just yet. Somehow, he knew this wasn't the right time. He would know when to tell her.

Noah didn't even notice his mother sit down next to him. When she reached out to grip his shoulder, he jumped. He glanced in her direction but avoided her gaze. He wasn't sure if he wanted to know what she thought of all this just yet. Still, he could see the hesitant smile on her lips, and that clued him in a little.

"You okay?" she asked softly.

He took a moment to gather his thoughts. "I'm a little surprised, but I…well…" He sighed. There was a lot going through his head on the surface, but deep down, he knew how he felt. "Yeah, I'm okay," he said, smiling a little. He chanced a glance at her eyes. She would never be convinced that he was okay if he didn't look her in the eyes when he said it. He was pleasantly surprised to not see a single negative thought in his mother's head. He could see happiness for him, relief at finally knowing what had been going on, and concern for him, for what he thought about the whole incident. But he didn't see the uneasiness that he expected. His mother had basically just been told who her son was going to marry, and somehow that didn't bother her.

Noah smiled a little wider. "Yeah. I'm okay," he repeated.

Sarah returned his smile. "Are you going to tell her?"

He shook his head. "No. Not yet, at least. I don't think she could handle it right now. I'll know when the time is right."

His mother nodded, then wrapped an arm around his shoulders, giving him a one-armed hug. "I love you, Noah."

"Love you too, Mom."

* * *

The following morning, Noah waited patiently on the steps of his porch for Elsa. He really hated that she had to walk all the way to his house without help. He knew her leg was still bothering her. But she'd been adamant about him not coming to her house, so he gave in. As soon as he saw her coming down the sidewalk, he would run to her side. He didn't want her to suffer any longer than she had to.

He had spent most of the previous night coming to terms with all that he'd learned from Dr. Brennan. It had taken quite a while for it all to sink in. But he had finally decided that this was all a good thing, and refused to think of it past that. It wasn't like he could change anything anyway. Plus, he didn't want to change anything. Honestly, he was glad that he'd bonded with Elsa, and so early too. It would make it a little easier to help her, and that had always been a goal of his.

Noah leaned forward to prop his chin up on his knees, staring down at his feet. He picked at the laces of his sneakers, focusing on Elsa. After a bit of concentration, he found the flow of her emotions. She was still sad. Noah had a feeling that she had been that way for quite a long time. It might be all he ever felt from her, at least for a while. He was determined to do something about that. Abruptly, he felt her switch to a soft, almost reluctant happiness. That was odd. He snapped his head up, grinning when he saw her making her way toward him. His grin fell when he noticed her limp. He stood up and ran to her as fast as he could.

"Good morning, Els," he said, smiling. He pulled her arm over his shoulder without saying anything, once again taking most of her weight. She let out a sigh of relief when he did.

"Morning," she said quietly.

He had a feeling that she hadn't had a good evening the day before, so he skipped that question. "How'd you sleep last night?" he asked instead.

She gave a shrug as best she could with one arm draped over Noah's shoulders. "Okay, I guess."

Now that he was closer to her, Noah's ability kicked in, letting him read her sadness for what it really was. He pinpointed it as depression. More than that, she was lonely. It was a loneliness that came from bearing a heavy secret. He wished with all his heart that she would just confide in him. He knew it would help her out immensely if she would just share some of the burden with him. But he still wouldn't force it out of her. Now more than ever, he wanted to treat her with respect.

"That's good. Though I have a feeling that 'okay' for you isn't much anyway." She huffed out a humorless chuckle. Noah smiled a little. "Too bad we aren't still in elementary school. I would have let you sleep on my lap again at recess." Noah wasn't looking at her, but he could tell she was smiling.

"That was nice of you, by the way. It was some of the best rest I've ever gotten," she said softly.

Noah blinked in surprise, then grinned. "Really?"

"Yeah," she said quietly. Noah could feel slight embarrassment from her. "You're just…I don't know, I feel comfortable around you." She paused for a second. "I feel…safe."

Noah's heart clenched painfully. "You aren't used to that, are you?"

A long moment of silence went by before she responded. "No." It came out as barely more than a whisper.

Noah contemplated a change of topic as they crossed a street. Elsa stumbled a little at the curb, sucking in a sharp breath of pain. A slightly crazy idea popped into Noah's head and he smiled a little. He halted their walk, stepping out from under Elsa's arm and tugging her backpack off her shoulders.

"Noah?" she asked hesitantly.

"I have an idea. At this rate, it'll take us forever to get to school." He slipped her backpack onto one shoulder, adjusting it until it felt comfortable sitting on top of his own backpack's strap. "You let me know if this hurts you, okay?"

"What—"

Noah hoisted her into his arms bridal-style. She squeaked at the sudden movement, and it was such an adorable sound that Noah had to bite his lip to keep from grinning stupidly. Her face was now incredibly close to his own. She'd instinctively wrapped an arm around his neck, and she clung to him tightly, as if she was afraid he would drop her. Noah smiled at her. "Don't worry, I've got you. Is your leg okay like this?" he asked.

She glanced up at him, her eyes meeting his. Noah could only assume that she'd had a moment of weakness, because he read so much in her eyes at that moment that he was sure she'd rather have kept to herself. With a start, he recognized the emotion he'd felt in her the day before, only now he knew exactly what it was. She liked him. And she certainly liked how close they were now. A flush rose quickly to her cheeks as she realized what she was doing, and she dropped her gaze. He watched her swallow nervously. "Uh, yeah, it's fine."

Noah started walking again, moving much faster now that Elsa was in his arms. He was acutely aware of her warmth, of how tense her muscles were. She liked how he was carrying her, but it still made her nervous. If he wasn't mistaken, it made her nervous _because_ she liked it. He was also pretty sure that she was mentally berating herself for letting him know how she felt. With a silent laugh, he realized that she was holding her breath, though likely unconsciously. "Els, relax."

She exhaled shakily, clearing her throat. "Sorry."

Noah decided to take pity on her. "Since I can actually get answers from you now, I have some stupid questions." He asked her a number of trivial questions, ranging from her favorite color to the place that she liked to read. He'd spent the last several years wondering about so many things. What was her favorite food, her favorite season? Why did she like reading so much? What kind of music did she like? He was determined to learn the answers to all of those questions and more. He wanted to know her inside and out.

She relaxed as Noah asked her questions. He did want to learn more about her, but he was really just trying to distract her at the moment. She'd been so tense when he picked her up. His questions had the desired effect. He could feel the tension leaving her the more they talked. He even managed to calm her down enough that she let her head rest against his shoulder, making his heart flutter.

When they got within visible distance of the school building, Noah set her on her feet once again. He was as gentle as possible, keeping a hand between her shoulder blades as she regained her balance. He slipped her backpack off his shoulder and handed it to her.

"Thanks," she said softly.

Noah smiled gently at her. "You're welcome. I'll keep it up until you can walk on that without it killing you."

"You don't have to—"

He waved away the rest of her statement. "But I want to, so I'm going to whether you like it or not," he said, still smiling. He started walking toward the school again, keeping pace with Elsa to make sure she didn't stumble. When they made it to the doors of the school, both of them stopped. Elsa pulled her braid over her shoulder, fiddling with the end of it. She kept her gaze directed at the ground, but Noah could tell what she was thinking anyway. He started the conversation for them. "So, about earlier, what you were thinking…"

"I'm sorry," she said softly. "I mean, I hope it doesn't make things awkward now. I just— well, I can't help it. But…I mean, I won't do anything. I… I don't want to lose your friendship. But I'll understand if you want to—"

"Elsa," he said gently, cutting off her nervous rambling. He leaned in, hearing her breath hitch just before he placed a soft kiss on her cheek. When he pulled back, he had to smile a little at the expression on her face. She flicked her gaze up to his. Noah couldn't help the laugh that escaped his lips. "Yes, it's okay," he said in response to her thoughts.

Elsa blinked rapidly for a second, then a small smile broke out on her face. She glanced back at the ground, but only out of shyness and a desperate wish to hide her flush. Noah grasped her hand, tugging her gently toward the doors, nearly rolling his eyes at the waves of relief that were rolling off of the girl beside him.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The last few weeks of Elsa's sixth grade year were easily some of the best times of her life. The days were still incredibly long and lonely, but every morning and every afternoon was so wonderful that it made up for the hours she spent by herself. Noah resisted her admittedly half-hearted protests that he let her walk, and continued to carry her until she could stand walking on her injured leg. He was afraid it would take even longer to heal than it should because she walked on it during school and at home, so he did what he could to speed up the healing process.

Eventually, Noah approved her walking unassisted. After that, he would occasionally hold her hand as they walked. Elsa didn't really know how to take that. She'd never had a friend before, but she assumed that it was something that friends did. After all, there was no way he liked her. It just wasn't possible. She wasn't…likable. That kiss on the cheek a few weeks back was merely his way of reassuring her. Just a friendly gesture.

Her walks with Noah became something that she treasured above all else. He always kept up a constant stream of conversation. Sometimes it was serious, other times it was trivial. But it always went according to her mood. Noah knew when she needed cheering up and would tell her funny stories or jokes to make her laugh. The first time he had actually gotten a laugh out of her, he had grinned from ear to ear. She'd honestly thought she'd forgotten how to laugh, but Noah managed to coax it out of her.

After a few weeks of walking with Noah to and from school each day, Elsa became even more comfortable around him. He practically knew her inside and out, and he understood her better than anyone. Elsa had a feeling that even if he didn't have his special ability he would still understand her. And she had to admit, it felt good not having to tell him everything. He just knew.

Unfortunately, she only got to enjoy a few weeks of this before school ended. Noah had tried to get her to agree to a few visits in the park, but she just couldn't think of a way to do it without her parents finding out. She didn't have any time to slip out of the house during the summer. Her mother was a teacher at the local elementary school, and so when Elsa had summer break, she did too. So she had to settle for promising him that he could walk her to school the first day back the next year.

With her thoughts constantly on how much she missed Noah, Elsa's summer crept by agonizingly slowly. Her emotions sunk lower and lower as the summer went on, her misery so potent that it was nearly crippling. She stayed in her room as often as she could, lying on her bed and staring at the ceiling. Every night she would cross off another day on the calendar she had made herself, counting down the days until she could see Noah again. When she had less than a week to go, Elsa's spirits finally started to lift. There was a light at the end of the tunnel now.

She'd completed orientation, but unfortunately managed not to see Noah while she was there. She hoped that they were both in the same group this year, or at least had the same gym or lunch. Anything would be better than nothing. Still, she knew she would always have their walks to and from school. That thought lifted her spirits even more. The night before school started back, she was so excited that she could hardly hold it in, even though it would be a very bad thing if her parents found out just how happy she was. As soon as her father left the room for the night, she went right to sleep, somehow managing to sleep all the way through the night.

When her parents had left for work the next morning, Elsa ran downstairs and wolfed down some toast before running out of the door. She jogged half the distance to Noah's house, slowing as she got closer and attempting to calm down just a little. She tugged at her shirt and ran a hand over her hair to make sure it was lying flat. Not that Noah would care all that much if she looked like she'd been running, but it would have made her a little embarrassed.

As soon as she was in sight of his house, her eyes searched for him. She found him sitting on the steps, like usual, but he didn't stay there for long. When he noticed her coming his way, he stood up and ran toward her. Elsa gave up trying to contain her excitement and ran too, meeting him halfway. She nearly jumped into his arms, throwing her own around his neck and burying her face in his chest. He'd gotten much taller over the summer, so much that she could almost fit beneath his chin. Noah gripped her just as tightly as she did him, wrapping her in a kind of embrace that they had never shared before.

Noah slid his hand up to the back of her neck, holding her tighter against him. "God, I've missed you."

Elsa choked out a laugh through the tears that were slipping down her cheeks. "You have no idea," she whispered. "I've been absolutely—"

"Miserable without me?" he interrupted. He released his grip on her and pulled back a little, watching her blink in confusion. She had been about to use those exact words. He reached for her hand and tugged her into a walk, starting for the school building. "I've been waiting on the right time to tell you. Ever since this spring, when my mom and I brought you to the house, I've been able to…well, to sense your emotions a little better than others. That weekend…those were some of the hardest days of my life. I was concerned for you, but I kept feeling things that didn't make any sense. Misery, terror, loneliness. It took a couple days, but when I saw you that Monday, I knew. I'd been feeling what you were feeling."

Elsa stumbled to a halt. "What?"

Noah stopped as well and turned to face her. "It's called bonding. When I forced you to look at me that first time, something happened. I…well, I bonded to you. The process took a couple days. Things were rough. I kept feeling your emotions instead of my own. But when I saw you on Monday, it evened out. The bonding was complete." He went on to explain some of what Dr. Brennan had told him, leaving out anything to do with the two of them being soulmates. She wasn't ready for that information just yet.

"I can't feel what you do anymore, not unless I trigger it. But I always have a general sense of how you feel. Happy, sad, upset, just basic stuff." Noah pulled on her hand, resuming their walk. "If I concentrate, I can tell what you're feeling in more detail though. The last month has been torture for me. I had to live each day with the knowledge that you were just down the street, absolutely miserable, and I couldn't do anything about it."

"But…why has all this happened? Why did you bond to me?" she asked.

Noah glanced at her. "That part is best left for later, I think."

Elsa tilted her head to the side, curious. But she didn't protest; she trusted him. They were silent for a little bit, still holding hands as they made their way to school. Eventually, Elsa had wrapped her head around what he'd said enough to ask him something else. "So…what do you do to feel what I'm feeling? How do you…trigger it?"

Noah smiled, pulling her to a stop. He looked down at her, but she was avoiding his gaze. "Like this," he said softly. He lifted a hand, placing two fingers beneath her chin and tilting her head up so that he could look into her eyes. The moment her gaze met his, he shivered. So many thoughts and feelings rushed through him that it was almost impossible to catch them all. She was surprised, yet remarkably relaxed and content. Affection filled her to the brim, and her joy at finally being reunited with him nearly had him grinning like a fool. There was a curiosity about what he was going through at the moment, how it would feel to experience someone else's emotions. She tilted her head slightly, silently asking him what he was doing.

"If I look in your eyes while I'm touching your bare skin, I feel what you feel," he explained.

Understanding filled her eyes, followed by a string of thoughts that almost made him laugh. She was mentally going through everything she was feeling, trying to see herself as he would. After a second, Elsa seemed to think that her current emotions were generally a tad embarrassing, and she broke the eye contact, grinning sheepishly. He knew, of course, but it still embarrassed her that she thought of him as more than a friend. She'd never felt like this about anyone else, and it wasn't like she had anyone she could get advice from. She cleared her throat awkwardly. "Does this happen with anyone else?" she asked him, still staring at the ground, a flush starting to tint her cheeks.

"Only you," he said softly. He weaved their fingers together before resuming their walk once again. "Dr. Brennan said that I'll only ever bond to one person. So…it's just you."

After a few moments of silence, Elsa glanced in his direction with a small smile on her lips. "Well, I feel…special."

Noah laughed. "That's because you are."

Elsa bit the inside of her lip, blushing furiously now. She watched the sidewalk in front of her as they walked, trying to avoid any further embarrassment. She wished with all her heart that his statement meant more than she knew it did. But she refused to let it get her hopes up. She knew he didn't feel the same way she did.

When they finally reached the school building, Elsa remembered that she had yet to ask him about his classes. She tugged Noah to a halt to the side of the doors. "Hey, wait. Let me see your schedule."

"Oh, yeah!" he said eagerly, pulling his backpack around to his front and digging out his schedule. He walked closer to her, holding his schedule where they both could read it and comparing it to the one she held. Elsa grinned the more she read. She glanced up at Noah when she'd finished, finding him grinning just as broadly. "Exactly the same," he said, laughing. "Wow, this is great. This will be a good year, Els."

"I think you might be right," she said, grabbing his hand as they walked into the building together.

* * *

With Noah in all of her classes, time seemed to fly by for Elsa. Unfortunately, the high she'd been on from his constant presence at the beginning of the year eventually wore off a little. It had dulled the pain of her home life for a while, but one night at home changed all of that. She had no idea what set her father off, but he had been in a fury that night when he came to her room. Worse yet, he was so drunk that he could barely stand up. For most people, that would make it harder to hit accurately. But he was no less accurate than normal, his drunkenness only serving to make him hit harder.

Elsa had been through a handful of rough beatings from her father. Most of those were caused by a slight slip-up on her part when it came to her ability. She had a feeling that it was the reason her parents beat her in the first place, though they found more reasons nowadays. But she was sure that her ability had started it all. Just the slightest drop in temperature would set her parents off. And heaven forbid she actually let out a bit of frost. Those nights were the worst. But she hadn't done any of that tonight, and still he hit harder than ever. She couldn't think of anything that she'd done to infuriate him so much.

Normally, he held back enough to keep from breaking bones. But this time, she was positive that she had a few cracked ribs. By the time he'd left her, it nearly killed her to take any more than the shallowest of breaths. Moving even the tiniest bit caused her to grimace in pain. He had left her sitting against her bedroom wall, laughing as he slammed the door. She thought she might just go to sleep right there, because standing up was going to be difficult. But she had to go to school in the morning, and she knew that would hurt. Might as well start getting used to the pain.

She clenched her jaw as she stood, a few tears leaking out and slipping down her cheeks. She made her way to the bed, lying down gingerly. One wrong movement caused her to instinctively suck in a breath at the pain, which only made it hurt worse. More tears coursed down her cheeks. With a sudden sinking feeling in her stomach, she remembered what Noah had told her just a few days ago. It was getting easier for him to know what she was feeling from a distance. With just a thought, he could tell exactly how she felt. He would know she was hurt. She would have to figure out a way to avoid the topic in the morning.

As soon as she was settled, she closed her eyes, hoping that sleep would come quickly for once. But of course, her body didn't feel like indulging her. It took her quite a while to fall asleep, and even then, sleep came in fits and starts the entire night. When the pale light of early morning crept in her window, Elsa gave up trying to sleep entirely. She was hurting so badly that she couldn't fall asleep anymore. She made a mental note to take some pain medication after her parents had left.

She had no idea where she found the strength, but she managed to get out of bed and get ready for school. Once she was standing, it didn't hurt quite as badly, as long as she made no sudden movements and didn't breathe too deeply. She could probably make it through the day without too much pain, especially once her pain medication kicked in.

Elsa knew that Noah would be suspicious, but she couldn't help the hard knot of dread that formed in the pit of her stomach as she made her way to his house. She couldn't think of any way to avoid this. Hopefully, he would realize that she didn't want to talk about it and drop it. As soon as she was within sight of his house, she saw him run toward her. He knew…of course he knew.

"Elsa, what happened?" he asked as soon as he was within earshot. He ran up to her and took her hands, trying to get her to look at him. Elsa kept her gaze directed at the ground, knowing that she couldn't let him see. "Was it Jace again? I swear, if that bastard—"

"I'm fine," she whispered, cutting him off.

Noah growled. "Come on, Els. Don't insult my intelligence. I _know_ you aren't fine, I could tell last night." He reached up to grip her chin. Knowing what would come after that, Elsa gently turned her head to the side, pulling out of his grasp.

"Please, Noah," she said softly, voice thick with unshed tears. "Just this once, can you let me deal with this on my own?"

He sighed, pulling her into a gentle embrace, one that thankfully didn't put any pressure on her ribs. She let her head rest in the crook of his neck, wishing that they could stay like that forever. Noah rubbed her back as he held her, pressing his jaw against the top of her head. "Just this once," he said quietly.

Elsa relaxed, so incredibly grateful for the boy that was holding her. He was too good for her, she didn't deserve someone so wonderful. "Thank you," she whispered.

* * *

That night, Elsa sat in her room after her father had left, aching more than she could ever remember. Once again, her body refused to let sleep come easily, so she propped herself up against her headboard and stared absently at the wall opposite her. Her thoughts were spiraling out of control, turning dark enough to scare her. Praying silently that her parents wouldn't come up for a surprise visit, Elsa let her control over her ability relax, chilling the room instantly. The coolness of the air calmed her almost immediately.

She held a hand out in front of herself, effortlessly forming a ball of snow that revolved slowly above her palm. She shaped it with her will, not having any clue what she was making but finding comfort in the use of her ability. Eventually, it started to form what resembled a snowflake, and she latched on to that, now consciously forming angles and edges with a single thought. As she formed it, she let it harden from snow to ice. Slowly, she mentally tugged at it, pushed at it, nudged it until she was happy with the design. The completed snowflake dropped gently to her hand.

It had turned out beautifully, though Elsa was always a bit biased when it came to snow or ice. She fingered the sharp edges, mind going blissfully blank. The chill of ice always felt so comforting in her hands. Not for the first time, she wished she could keep what she'd made. But if her parents ever found it, they would probably beat her to death. So Elsa let the piece melt into nothingness in her palm, sighing.

Without the task of creating something, Elsa's thoughts once again drifted. They flitted between a handful of depressing thoughts before latching on to the one thing that didn't make her feel completely miserable. Noah. She closed her eyes, forming an image of him in her mind in a split second. For probably the thousandth time, her mind connected Noah and her ability. She was Marked, just like him. Marked tended to band together when they knew about each other, because it was easier to fend off trouble as a group. Plus, they felt more at home around people like themselves, people who were different. Noah would be thrilled to know that she was like him. Once again, she contemplated telling him. She had never had someone to share her joy with. It would feel wonderful to let him know what she was, what she could do. It was a secret that had weighed heavily on her heart since she was young.

That thought led her to the reason that she kept her ability from Noah. It was a heavy burden to bear because of how her parents treated her. Her ability had been the start of a miserable life. She could only assume that they hated abnormality, and being able to create ice and snow at will certainly wasn't normal. It may not have been the real reason that her parents abused her, but it was the only thing that made any sense to her, so she convinced herself that she was right. In her mind, she was beaten because she was Marked. And thoughts of her ability always brought thoughts of her parents and her torture. So she couldn't tell Noah…he would find out everything.

She wished that she had the courage to tell him. But she was terrified that either he wouldn't be able to keep quiet about it or her parents would find out that she'd told someone and kill her. Slowly. She'd heard the threat from her father often enough anyway. Even worse, they might kill Noah instead. She was so afraid that something would go horribly wrong if she told Noah that she managed to harden her resolve. She wouldn't break down. She would bear her secrets for the rest of her life, as long as it kept Noah safe.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Hello everyone! Here we are with chapter 8! Not much to say this time around, other than thank you to everyone who has read, reviewed, favorited and/or followed! Hope you enjoy this chapter :)**

* * *

Chapter 8

Time sped by for Noah. After spending all of seventh grade with Elsa, he was once again denied her presence in eighth. Still, they had their morning and afternoon walks, and it made things a little easier. She would talk to him a little while they walked, would answer almost any question he asked, but she would rarely initiate conversations. He couldn't get anything out of her to do with her family or life at home. She ignored those questions as if he had never even asked them, and the emotions he read from her when he asked were enough to halt those questions after a few attempts.

He was sure now that her life at home was the cause of her misery, but he couldn't pinpoint exactly what was wrong. He hated making her feel bad, so he wouldn't ask anymore, and he wasn't about to spy on her and her family. But he was curious. He assumed that she didn't get along very well with her parents. Or maybe they expected too much out of her at school. She did always have her nose buried in a book. In any case, he found that he didn't like her parents much. She shouldn't be that miserable.

When Noah's ninth grade year rolled around, he finally got to see a little bit more of Elsa. She was in all of his honors classes and shared the same lunch as him, along with Anna and Kristoff. He was finally able to introduce them, which he'd been wanting to do for some time. Elsa needed a few more friends. She didn't speak around them, which he'd expected, but he could tell that she enjoyed their company.

His ability to sense her emotions from a distance was better than ever. With the slightest of thoughts, he could tell how she felt in perfect detail, no matter how far apart they were. It seemed as if it happened quicker than Dr. Brennan had said it would, but then again, he had said that all Readers experienced different things with their bond-mates based on their abilities. Noah's deep connection to Elsa made him grateful that he read emotions the way he did.

With Elsa in some of his classes, time sped by. Before he knew it, summer was upon them. He had come to despise summer, since he had no way to talk to Elsa. So he tried his best to keep busy to make the time pass by quicker. By the time his tenth grade year began, Noah was so Elsa-deprived that he almost felt like he was going crazy. She laughed at him when he told her that on their walk to school the first day back, but he knew it made her happy to hear how much he'd missed her.

As his sophomore year ticked by, Noah found himself dreading his upcoming birthday. He was turning sixteen this year, which meant that it was time for him to receive his Mark. He hated that they had to be branded, like some animal that the government needed to keep track of. It also made them a bit of a target for bullies. Any kid who wasn't Marked tended to despise those who were. It wouldn't be much of a problem for him, because he could easily defend himself. But he knew it was a problem for some. It was the reason his parents had enrolled him in taekwondo at such a young age.

When the day was finally upon him, Noah was in quite a foul mood. He tried not to be, but he just hated the thought of what he was about to go through. He stayed home from school that day, and had told Elsa the day before so she wouldn't be waiting on him. Someone from MS would be at his house by ten, and the closer it got to that time, the more nervous he became.

His mother noticed his apprehension. "You'll do fine, Noah. The man that's coming is very good at what he does."

"I know, Mom. I just…gah, I hate being Marked sometimes. It makes me feel like cattle or something. Being branded."

Sarah sighed, nodding her agreement. "I don't like it much myself. But it's a government mandate, and we can't exactly ignore it."

"Yeah," he said quietly. He knew the reasoning behind getting a Mark. The government felt that it was extremely unfair to unMarked citizens to not know when they were in the presence of someone who was Marked. Especially since there were Marked that could easily manipulate people. So they required that all Marked be easily recognized, in the form of a tattoo on their neck just behind their left ear that had to be visible at all times. Originally, Marked were branded at age five. But that led to so many Marked children being abused by their peers that eventually the age was raised to sixteen. The theory was that Marked would be able to defend themselves by then, though it didn't always work out that well.

Noah blocked off all of his thoughts and emotions, choosing to focus on Elsa's instead. He smiled slightly at the mere thought of her. Based on the time, he knew she was already at school. The smile slipped slowly off his face as he read her unhappiness, her loneliness. He still couldn't read the reasons for her feelings at a distance; he wasn't sure if he would ever be able to unless he was looking in her eyes like normal. But he had a feeling that she felt the way she did because he wasn't with her this morning. It certainly didn't help his mood.

When ten o'clock rolled around, they heard the sound of an approaching vehicle. Noah glanced out of the living room window, watching a black vehicle that resembled a SWAT truck pull into their driveway. He swallowed past a lump in his throat. His mother sent him a reassuring smile before going to the door to let the men inside. Noah watched as two people filed in, one of which he was familiar with. The tall man on the right with black hair, now graying a little at the temples, was Dr. Rainer, the man who had been coming for Noah's annuals since he was five. He was carrying a case in one hand, one that Noah assumed held his medical supplies. The man smiled at Noah and came to shake his hand.

"Noah! Good to see you. You've gotten so tall since I last came here," he said with a grin, his eyebrows slightly raised.

Sarah smiled, placing a hand on Noah's shoulder. "Growing like a weed, doctor. And he's almost impossible to feed. Always hungry."

Dr. Rainer laughed. "Well, that's good. Should mean you'll have a clean bill of health today, which is what we want." He motioned to the shorter man beside him. "Noah, this is Alexander Fletcher. He'll be doing your Mark, once I've finished with the examination."

The blond man held out his hand to shake Noah's. He was short and stocky, his hair cropped into a military-style cut. Noah eyed the bulky muscle on his arms with a little trepidation, and admittedly, a little jealousy. He'd bulked up quite a bit in the last year or so, but not nearly that much. Shaking his head, he smiled at the man, trying to focus.

"Call me Alex, kid. And don't worry. I look tough, but I'll be gentle with you." He gave Noah a toothy grin, one that looked slightly wolfish. It didn't really help Noah's nerves.

Dr. Rainer smiled. "Well, let's get this show on the road. As you know, the examination will be a bit more in depth this time. Just want to make sure that you're in tip-top shape. Mrs. Holton, did you receive the paperwork in the mail a few weeks ago?" She nodded in response. "Good. That should have told you all that we'll do and check for. Do you have any questions?"

"No sir," she answered.

"Perfect. Do you have a place that we might go that will give Noah a bit of privacy?"

"Of course." Sarah led them down a hallway to her bedroom. She opened the door, then pointed out the attached bathroom. She gave Noah an anxious smile as she left the room. He did his best to return it. This wasn't the part he was nervous about.

"All right, Noah. Let's get started," the doctor said as he set his case down on the end of the bed. The examination went smoothly and didn't take too long. Dr. Rainer was great with Noah, understanding how awkward some things were and making sure they went as quickly as possible. Noah had had physicals often enough that the first part of the exam didn't really bother him. He was used to it, even if it was awkward. After the physical part of the exam was over, Noah was poked and prodded more times than he could count. When he'd finally been fully examined, Dr. Rainer stored away his samples and closed his case.

"All done," he said with a smile. "Not so bad, eh? We'll be running tests with all of these, and the results should be back to you in a week or two. We'll put them on your file online, just like normal. If there's anything out of the ordinary, we'll call you." Noah rubbed the bandage in the crook of his elbow, nodding. Dr. Rainer opened the door and motioned for Noah to go first. "Now, let's get that Mark, shall we?"

Noah swallowed thickly. He was used to pain. The boys in his taekwondo class were often pretty rough, even though they weren't supposed to be. He'd gotten in a few tussles that had left him fairly bruised, mostly because the boys insisted that he do a few fights blindfolded to make them fair. Still, he knew this would be a completely new level of pain. He was sure he could handle it, but he was apprehensive nonetheless.

He was led outside to the truck that the men had arrived in. The back door had been opened to reveal a counter with an assortment of tools on it and a seat styled a bit like a dentist's chair, except this one had a few velcro straps that made Noah even more nervous. Alex was already there, arms crossed as he waited for Noah to make his way inside. The door shutting behind Noah sounded a little…ominous. His anxiety must have shown on his face, because Alex laughed. It was a jovial sound and it eased Noah's tension a bit.

"Don't worry, kid. I'll be as quick as I can with this. Come sit down." He motioned to the chair. Noah sat nervously, eyeing the straps. Alex smiled. "We probably won't be needing those. They're for the troublesome ones, kids who can't keep still. You should be fine. You look like a fellow that can handle a bit of pain." He pulled out a sheet of paper from a drawer and handed it to Noah. "I'm sure you've seen mine or Dr. Rainer's already, but this is what we'll be doing." The ink on the page was in the shape of an uppercase sigma.

Alex leaned the chair back as he pulled on a pair of gloves. "All right, Noah. Just lie back, relax, close your eyes if you want. I'm gonna clean the area first, and then we'll get going."

The man situated Noah's head so that he was looking at the wall to his right. Noah inhaled sharply at the coolness of the wipe that Alex used to clean the skin. Every nerve in his body felt electrified, his nervousness reaching a new high. Luckily, Alex wasn't one for long waits, so Noah didn't have to anticipate the pain for very long. The first prick of the needle almost made him jump, but he clenched his hands into fists and sat still. The first minute was the worst. After that, he actually became accustomed to the pain, though it still hurt worse than anything he'd ever gone through in his life. After the initial shock had worn off, Alex started talking to him, likely as a distraction.

"You know, we used sigma as our symbol for a reason. The first ever recorded Marked was Greek. His name has long since been lost, so we simply call him The First. Sigma is the first letter in the Greek word for marked, so we've adopted that as our symbol. Been like that for hundreds of years."

As time wore on, Alex kept up the one-sided conversation. Noah was becoming increasingly uncomfortable, more restless than anything though. He'd managed to block out the pain for the most part, though the added stress to his system was making him break out in a sweat. He began constantly twiddling his fingers, using the slight movement as a way to cure his restlessness. By the time Alex finally said they were finished, Noah was dying to get up and walk off his nerves.

"All done, kid. You did great. I swear, I've never done someone who stayed that quiet and calm the entire time. Impressive." He bandaged Noah up and told him to sit for just a minute to let his nerves calm down. He went through a list of things that Noah needed to do to take care of the Mark while Noah sat. When Alex finally allowed him to sit up, Noah had calmed down enough that he thought his legs might actually hold him up. He placed his feet on the floor, legs on either side of the chair. He put his hands on his knees to keep them from shaking. Alex hauled him to his feet and shoved a few bottles in his hand, a special soap and lotion that wouldn't irritate his skin.

Alex pushed open the back door to the truck and walked inside the house with Noah, keeping a hand on his shoulder to steady him. When they had made it inside, Noah's mother stopped talking mid-conversation with Dr. Rainer and ran to Noah's side, eyeing the bandage on his neck.

"How did it go? Do you feel all right?" she asked him, feeling his forehead, which was chilled from sweat.

Noah nodded, clearing his throat to make sure his voice would work. "Yes ma'am. I'm fine."

"He did great, Mrs. Holton. Champ. Best I've done yet, and I've been doing this for fifteen years." Alex handed a sheet of paper to Sarah. "In case he doesn't remember, here's the list of instructions to follow on how to care for his Mark until it heals up. It should be good in two weeks, three at the most. If he's still experiencing problems with it after that, give us a call. Oh, and that bandage can come off in an hour or two. Just make sure your hands are clean when you do it."

Sarah nodded, glancing down at the paper he had given her to read it quickly, making sure she didn't have any questions. Dr. Rainer stood up and approached Noah, pulling something out of an envelope and dropping it into Noah's hand. It was a set of dog tags, hanging on a metal chain. Noah fingered the ridges of the text. It had his name, his date of birth, and his Marked ID number. The words "Mental : Emotions" were listed below that, describing his ability and the classification it fell under. Of the three classifications — Physical, Mental, and Control — those with Mental abilities numbered the fewest.

"Your identification, Noah," Dr. Rainer said. "Make sure you wear them at all times. You're official now, so if you're caught without them, there are some higher-ups in MS that won't be too happy if anything happens and you don't have this on."

Noah nodded.

Dr. Rainer made his way slowly to the door. "Well, if you don't have any questions, we'll be on our way."

Sarah thanked them and shut the door behind them, her eyes instantly returning to Noah after they had left. He had been standing in the same place since he walked in and he was being unusually quiet. She went to his side, wrapping an arm around him. "Are you okay?"

Noah jerked, glancing at his mother as if just noticing her. "Hmm? Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little tired. My nerves were on edge the entire time, so it wore me out." He paused and ran a hand through his hair. "Got anything for lunch? I'm starving."

Sarah laughed, some of her uneasiness leaving her. That sounded more like her son. "Of course I do. Come on."

* * *

The next morning, Noah sat outside on the porch steps, waiting for Elsa to walk up. He could feel her apprehension and worry as she made her way to his house. He assumed she was worrying about him. The thought made him smile a little. It was nice to know that she was concerned for his well-being. His hand itched to reach up and rub his Mark, but he'd been told not to touch it for a few weeks. It was incredibly tempting, since it was something that he wasn't used to having yet, but he resisted.

As soon as he could see Elsa, Noah stood up and made his way slowly to her. When he was close enough to see her face, he almost laughed at her expression. Her brow was creased with worry, and her eyes met his for once. She mentally asked him how he was doing, her emotions speaking more than her thoughts. Noah smiled as he walked up to her and grabbed her hands. "I'm fine, Els."

She eyed the sigma tattooed on his neck. "Did it hurt?" she asked quietly. She made to reach up and run her fingers across it but Noah held her hands tight.

"Can't touch it for a few weeks. Don't want it to get infected. And yes, it hurt. But I'm okay now. Stings a bit every now and then, but it'll get better. A few days and I'm sure I won't even know it's there."

Elsa nodded then wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned into him, resting her head against his chest. He had gotten tall enough now that she couldn't really reach the crook of his neck unless they were sitting down. She easily fit under his chin. She didn't mind; it made her feel safe when he wrapped his arms around her. She turned her head to the side, pressing her ear against his chest and listening to the beat of his heart. "I thought about you all day yesterday. I was nervous for you."

Noah smiled. "I know." He pulled away from her a little and reached under his shirt, pulling out his dog tags. "Here, look. I got these yesterday too. I'm official now." He let her hold them, watching as she read his info. When she'd released the ID tags, he tucked them back under his shirt.

"Mental," she said thoughtfully. "Shouldn't you be in an asylum then?" She grinned at him.

Noah rolled his eyes. "Ha ha," he said sarcastically. He reached for her hand and started their walk to school. They were quiet for a long time, Noah reading Elsa's emotions with a slight frown on his face. She was still apprehensive, and now a good bit nervous. He couldn't imagine why she would be, unless she was thinking about asking him or telling him something that made her feel that way. The longer they walked, the more nervous she became. Eventually, Noah tugged her to a halt, turning her so that she faced him. She kept her gaze directed at the ground.

"Spit it out, Els," he said, not unkindly. She stood there silent for so long that he gave up with a sigh. "Look, you don't have to tell me anything you don't want to tell me. But I am here for you, you know?" he asked softly, reaching up to brush his fingers against her cheek. He smiled when he read her pleasure.

"I know," she whispered. "I promise I'll tell you soon. I just…"

Noah placed a finger on her lips, halting her sentence. "It's okay. You don't have to explain anything either. I'll be here when you're ready to talk." He watched her nod, reading waves of gratitude from her, then grasped her hand and resumed their walk to school.

Elsa hated keeping things from him. Her secrets were eating away at her heart. She wanted so badly to tell him everything, to share everything with him. But her fear for him held her tongue. She was glad that he hadn't forced her to look at him or asked her any more questions. She didn't want to tell him that she was nervous because she knew she'd be going through the same thing as him in a few months. That thought filled her with dread. She would have to tell him then. He would see her Mark. He would want an explanation. And the only one she could give him that would actually be convincing just happened to be the truth. She shivered a little. She had no idea how she was going to tell him. And then everything would just spiral out of control. She supposed she should just start anticipating her own death within the next few months.

Abruptly, Noah tugged them to a halt again. He pulled Elsa into his arms, hugging her tightly. One hand made its way to the back of her neck, fingers curling into her hair. Elsa squeezed her eyes shut tight, holding on to him like he was the only thing in the world that mattered. Noah's hand that wasn't currently tangled in her hair found the small of her back, pressing her into him. They stood like that for a long while, Noah doing his best to erase her negative thoughts. He pulled back after a few moments, smiling softly at her. Then he leaned down and pressed a kiss to her cheek, grinning when Elsa's emotions quickly changed direction.

"Thought that might work," he said cheekily.

Elsa bit her lip, fighting a broad grin. She tried to fight her blush as well, but that never worked. Her skin was so pale that it made even the smallest blush glaringly visible. She huffed at him and pulled away, walking toward the school without waiting on him. Noah laughed and jogged to catch up with her. He had been right though; that did work to change her thoughts. She smiled when he grabbed her hand, thinking only of him as they made their way to school.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Ah, so sorry for the wait, everyone! I got super busy and could never find the time to post! Even now, I'm doing it much later in the day than normal. I will do my best to get on a regular update schedule from now on and not keep you waiting for so long! Anyway, this chapter is when things get real, so be prepared.**

 **WARNING: this chapter contains violence/child abuse. If that makes you uncomfortable, please be wary. It isn't overly descriptive, nor does it involve very much of the chapter at all, but I still feel the need to warn you.**

* * *

Chapter 9

At the start of the summer, Elsa's father had a talk with her that actually made her happy for once. It was the only time she could ever remember being pleased after a conversation with him, excluding any time he was done with her for the day. But those moments could usually be described as relief, not outright happiness. Today was different though; she was actually happy.

Her father sat her down in the living room that night, clenching his jaw so tightly that Elsa could hear his teeth grating from a few feet away. Her stomach turned at the thought of what he might be planning. It took him quite a while to tamp down his anger enough to speak, so Elsa was completely filled with dread by the time he started talking.

"All right, kid. Here's the thing. This year's annual is going to be different for you. More in depth. They're gonna do all sorts of weird tests and shit. I don't really care. But…" He paused, clenching a fist. Elsa flinched instinctively, but he didn't swing out at her like he would have normally. "Well, this time they'll be able to see bruises. So…you're off the hook until your birthday."

Elsa blinked in disbelief. Did she hear him correctly? Her birthday was a little over a month away.

Her father's voice interrupted her thoughts. "But I don't want to see a single hair off your head until then. You keep upstairs, and you keep quiet. Your mother will bring you food." He walked closer to her, grabbing a fistful of her shirt and yanking her face close to his. He sneered at her. "You leave that room one time from now until your birthday and I won't hesitate to kill you. Slowly," he growled. "Do you understand?"

Elsa nodded frantically, her mind still having trouble grasping the idea that she would go an entire month without beatings.

"Good," her father said. He backed up and pulled her off the couch by her shirt, shoving her in the direction of the stairs. "Get your ass upstairs and stay there. One sound from you and you're dead."

She made her way quickly and silently up the stairs, easing her door shut and praying that it wouldn't squeak. She definitely believed her father. She would make sure to keep extra quiet. It would be a boring month, but she couldn't care less. For the first time that Elsa could ever remember, she grinned broadly in her own home. An entire month, free. No beatings, no random visits from a drunken father. She felt like jumping for joy, thrilled at the thought of having a month without pain.

However, that thought brought with it a much less pleasant one. She would have a month without pain, but it would probably end with more than she'd ever felt at one time in her life. Her father would probably be itching to get his hands on her after so long. And then there was her Mark to think about. Noah had told her it was painful. He had always seemed like someone who was tolerant of pain to her, so if he thought it hurt then she certainly would. She only hoped that she could block it out the way she did her parents' beatings.

Elsa grabbed her desk chair and placed it by her window. She sat down and propped her elbows up on the sill, staring out at the front yard. She couldn't see much of the street because a large oak tree blocked her view. But she still glanced to her left down the street, in the direction of Noah's house. If she just had a cell phone, it would make this so much easier. His parents had finally added him to their phone plan, so he could call and text now. Being able to talk to him would make this coming month much less boring. She wouldn't even mind if he could somehow get letters to her. That would be better than nothing. But there was definitely no way to contact him, just like the last several summers. So she would spend her days thinking about him.

* * *

As the month wore on, Elsa became increasingly restless. She had never thought she would actually want to see any part of her house, but it was admittedly getting old just staring at her bare bedroom walls. She would almost give anything just to be allowed into the rest of the house. The only part of it she saw besides her bedroom and bathroom was a sliver of the hallway when her mother opened the door to shove in some food.

The first time her mother had done that, Elsa had wondered what was wrong with her. There was much more food than usual. Normally, they complained constantly about how much Elsa cost them, and only let her have small servings of food. But this time, her plate was nearly overflowing. She definitely wouldn't be able to eat it all. But then she wondered if her parents would beat her for not finishing her plate. She forced it all down, assuming that they were trying to make her gain a little weight before her annual.

Halfway through the month, Elsa's nerves finally started to surface. She was more nervous about the beating that was likely to follow the annual than anything. She didn't even spare much thought for getting her Mark. She was certainly apprehensive about that, but it would likely be a walk in the park compared to the beating her father would give her. He took sick pleasure in causing her misery, and she knew that. He was probably missing his favorite sport.

Elsa timidly assessed her body every morning, watching as her bruises slowly faded away. One week before her birthday, every single bump or bruise that she had was finally gone. It was the first time that Elsa could ever remember seeing her skin unblemished. She was so used to the discoloration caused by bruising that it was almost startling to see so much creamy white, free of any mark or color. Noah would have told her she was beautiful; he loved her pale skin, so different from his own bronze tan. But she certainly didn't feel it, even without the bruises.

When the morning of her birthday finally rolled around, Elsa was nearly trembling with nerves. Thankfully, she had gotten good sleep the night before, so the doctor wouldn't think that she was sick. She certainly felt sick, though that was entirely from nerves. Still, she forced herself to get up and get dressed, making herself presentable. Her mother had told her the day before to make sure she looked and acted her best. Elsa caught the threat behind her words.

Finally, about fifteen minutes before the people from MS were supposed to show up, her mother came to fetch her. "Come on, brat. Downstairs. Let's get this over with." Unfortunately for Elsa, her birthday fell on a Saturday this year, which meant that her father was home. And that meant that her beating would be coming sooner rather than later. Elsa made her way quickly downstairs and into the living room, waiting until her father pointed at the couch before she sat down. She never sat without permission.

As they were waiting for MS to show up, Elsa's stomach roiled with nerves. She tried to calm herself down by breathing slowly through her nose, but it wasn't helping much. After what felt like hours, there was a knock on the door. Elsa's mother went to answer it. Two women came inside, both wearing crisp black skirt suits. The lady with blonde hair was Dr. Vence. She'd been doing Elsa's annuals since she was a small child. The other woman wasn't one that she recognized, though she assumed that was the person who would do her Mark. The lady had straight black hair and a stern looking face that didn't make Elsa feel better about getting her Mark at all.

Elsa stood up as they came up to her, reaching out to shake hands. Dr. Vence smiled reassuringly at her.

"Good morning, Elsa. It's great to see you. No need to look so nervous, dear. Today won't be as bad as you think," she said warmly. Elsa wished she could have retorted, but that would certainly get her killed. She simply nodded instead.

Dr. Vence gestured to the woman standing beside her. "This is Ms. Pearson, she'll be Marking you today. And don't worry, she's a lot nicer than she looks," she stage-whispered. Elsa gave her a weak smile, which Dr. Vence returned with a wink. She turned to Elsa's parents. "Did you get the paperwork that we sent in the mail?"

Elsa's mother nodded. "Yes ma'am, we did." Her voice sounded pleasant, and held not even a trace of the venom it had when no one was around. Elsa thought her parents should have been actors. They did a very good job of convincing people that they cared about her.

"Good. Any questions?" Dr. Vence asked. When Elsa's parents shook their heads, the cheerful doctor clapped her hands together. "Fantastic. Well, do you have somewhere that we could go so things won't be quite so awkward for Elsa? Somewhere private?"

"Of course," her mother said. She led the way to the master suite, opening the door for them. Elsa had to suppress a shudder as her mother pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "You'll do fine, sweetie," she said softly. Yes, her parents definitely should have been actors. Elsa could only manage a nod in response. She guessed that it would just come across as her being extremely nervous. She hoped so anyway.

Elsa watched with growing apprehension as the doctor began pulling out medical supplies from the case she had brought in with her. "Okay, Elsa. I'm going to try to make this as painless and easy as possible. I know you're a shy girl, and I'm sorry if this will make you uncomfortable, but it has to be done. I'll be quick, I promise," she said gently.

The only good thing that could be said about the entire experience was that the doctor was true to her word. She was as quick as possible, keeping Elsa's embarrassment to a minimum. She had never felt so exposed in her entire life. She hated baring her skin to this woman that she barely knew, but there was no way around it. Her month free of beatings had apparently done the job. Dr. Vence didn't notice anything wrong with her physically. As soon as she was done, Elsa hastily threw her clothes back on, desperately wishing that her skin wasn't so pale. She knew her flush was obvious.

Luckily, the rest of the examination was relatively embarrassment free. There were more needles than Elsa would have liked, but she could handle that. Needles didn't make her feel like she was completely vulnerable. Besides, being poked and prodded wasn't half as bad as what she went through on a near daily basis. Still, she was more than a bit relieved, if only temporarily, when the whole thing was over with. As they made their way back into the living room, she remembered what came next.

She followed Ms. Pearson out to the truck they had come in, climbing nervously into the seat when instructed. Elsa didn't even have much time to gather herself. This woman clearly wasn't one for drawing out the process. She leaned Elsa back and tilted her head to the side, pinning her hair out of the way. Then she cleaned the area and gave Elsa a brief bit of warning before beginning. Elsa was pretty sure that Noah had been trying to dumb it down for her sake. He had said it hurt, but this was excruciating. She instinctively clenched her jaw.

"Loosen up your jaw, Elsa. If you need to, make a fist. But I need you to relax."

Elsa tried to do as she was told. She retreated into her mind as the process wore on, blocking out the pain the way she normally blocked out her father. It worked, for the most part. She handled it rather well after the first minute or so. By the end of it, her eyes were glazed over, completely out of focus as she tried to keep her mind off the pain. The second that Ms. Pearson was done, Elsa heaved out a sigh of relief.

Ms. Pearson bandaged her up and then let her lay there for a minute. She explained how to care for the Mark while Elsa laid there and tried to still her shaking hands. Elsa already knew most of the instructions from Noah, but she listened intently anyway. When she was finally ushered inside, her parents both came up to her to inspect the bandage, wearing fake looks of concern.

"Are you all right, sweetheart?" her father asked.

Elsa swallowed back bile and nodded her head.

Dr. Vence came up to them and handed Elsa her ID. "Here you go. All official. Make sure you wear these at all times. Don't want to get in trouble," she said, smiling. Elsa glanced down, reading her own name. She spared a glance at the bottom line. The words "Control : Snow/Ice" were stamped under her Marked ID number. She slipped the dog tags over her head, tucking them beneath her shirt.

"Well, that's that," Dr. Vence said jovially. She reached out to shake hands with Elsa's parents. "Great to see you again, Mr. and Mrs. Finley. And you as well, Elsa. I'll be back next year for your annual again. It will be just like this one, so you'll have to get used to that I'm afraid. It'll be this way from now on." She paused as Elsa nodded. "You did great though, so I think you'll be fine. Well, until next time," she said, joining her colleague outside.

As soon as the truck had pulled off down the street, the atmosphere in the house changed drastically. Elsa's father came right up to her, his face inches from her own. "Get upstairs," he growled. She nodded frantically and backed up, practically running upstairs. She knew he would be downing a few more drinks before he came up, but she probably wouldn't have as much time as she normally did. He was already partially drunk.

She sat down on the end of her bed for a few seconds before her stomach couldn't hold in her nerves anymore. She ran to her bathroom and retched into the toilet. Sinking down onto her knees, Elsa emptied the contents of her stomach, brow peppered with cold sweat. When she sat back, she was shaking so badly that she didn't think she would be able to stand up for a few minutes. She had never been this nervous about one of her father's visits before. But the look in his eyes had told her that she was probably about to experience the worst beating she'd ever had.

Eventually, she forced herself to stand, walking shakily to the sink to brush her teeth, attempting to get that awful taste out of her mouth. She splashed a bit of cool water on her face as well, trying to calm down a little. When she was feeling a bit better, she walked back into her bedroom. She sat in her chair by the window, trembling violently every few minutes. When she heard someone coming up the stairs, her blood ran cold. Unfortunately for her, the temperature of the room dropped as well. She tried frantically to reign her ability back in, but once she'd let go of it in this state, there was no fixing it. Her father's glare was murderous when he opened the door.

She had been right to be so nervous. Less than five minutes in and she was barely conscious. Her father rarely ever hit her anywhere besides her torso, but this time, he didn't seem to care. He struck every inch of her he could reach. A few of her ribs cracked. By some miracle, when she coughed from the hit there wasn't any blood. Some part of her must have been bleeding though, because she was having to blink it out of her eyes. She thought she might actually make it through the entire thing and still stay conscious. But then he hit the back of her head and she was gone.

When she came to, she was in midair, being thrown out into the backyard. Luckily, it had been pouring rain ever since the ladies from MS had left, and the ground was relatively soft. She landed in the mud with a thump, aching so badly that she couldn't even bother to move. She could hear her father talking behind her but had to focus to understand what he was saying.

"Your mother and I are going out. Get your ass cleaned up before we come back. If there is even a speck of mud in that house, you'll get worse than what you just got."

She heard the back door slam shut. The rain had quickly soaked her clothes and half of her face was pressed into the mud, but she didn't have the strength to get up. She listened as her parents drove off, her brain so completely fuzzy that she didn't even process the sound until a few minutes later. They were gone, at least for an hour or two. With a groan, Elsa flopped over onto her back, spitting out mud. She closed her eyes so the rain wouldn't get in them. Her brain was still functioning spectacularly slowly. After several minutes of lying in the rain, her mind finally formed a thought. Get to Noah.

The thought was instinct. Something in her gut told her that she needed him, that he could help her somehow. Miraculously, her brain remembered which direction Noah was in. Now she only had to get there. She forced herself into a sitting position, tears streaming down her face. It took her another several minutes to stand, and even more to make her way shakily to the gate that led out of the backyard. Her mind was still numb, the only thought coursing through it being that she had to get to Noah. She kept repeating it to herself so she wouldn't forget it.

It seemed like it took her hours to make her way slowly to his house. She thought that it actually might have taken that long, but then again, her parents would have found her by now if that was the case. In reality, by the time she was limping up the sidewalk to his porch, it had been a little less than thirty minutes since her parents had left. Brain function was slowly returning to her. She had the brief thought that this was a bad idea, that someone would get hurt because of what she was doing. But she was already hurt, and she was tired of hurting. And she was terrified…more terrified than she'd ever been in her life, terrified enough to go to Noah, to finally ask for help.

It took her a solid minute to pull herself up the porch steps. When she was out of the rain, she swiped at her face, hand coming away muddier than it had been. She was positive that she looked awful, but she felt awful, so she didn't care much. With a nervous flop of her stomach, Elsa reached out and rang the doorbell. She wasn't sure how much longer she could stay conscious, but she did her best to stay upright, putting a hand against the door frame to steady herself. A handful of seconds went by before the door opened.

"Elsa?"

She got a brief glimpse of Noah's tall frame before her knees finally gave out. She expected to hit the porch, but Noah caught her.

"Shit!" Noah said shakily. He pulled Elsa all the way into his arms, running back inside and slamming the door shut with his foot.

Elsa could hear quite a bit of noise, but none of it made any sense to her ears. She felt herself leave the warmth of Noah's arms, being stretched out instead on something soft and comfortable. She closed her eyes when the room swam. Something was nagging at her, a thought picking at her brain that seemed mildly important. She tried to shove it away, but it came back, persistent. She focused hard, trying to decipher her own thoughts. There was something she needed to tell Noah.

Her eyes opened a crack. Noah was standing beside her, holding her hand. Everything was blurry, but she could make out that much. She tried to give his hand a gentle squeeze, attempting to get his attention. Apparently she didn't have enough strength to manage that, because he didn't even glance her way. She tried to say his name, but her first attempt didn't even come out and the second sounded more like a groan. It got his attention though. He leaned down and Elsa caught sight of his tear-streaked face. She must look bad. She had never seen him cry before.

"What is it, Els?" he whispered softly.

She reached out with a hand that felt like lead, latching onto his shirt and making a weak tugging motion. She opened her eyes fully, thinking first of her Mark as she looked at him. She saw his eyes flick toward the bandage on her neck. When he looked back at her, she closed her eyes for a second. Even in her disoriented state, she understood the gravity of what she was about to do. She took as deep a breath as her cracked ribs would allow and opened her eyes.

Every single horrible moment of her life flitted into her mind. She thought of everything, every emotion, every thought, every instance that had caused her misery. Entire nights worth of beatings coursed through her mind. The results of those beatings, sometimes showing a little more than Noah needed to see, flashed behind her eyes. Every single truth that she had never told him, everything that had forced her to keep secrets from him came out. Her emotions poured out as she looked at him. It was the longest second of her entire life.

Noah sank to his knees. Tears streamed down his face and he gasped, pressing a hand to his heart.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Hello everyone! Sorry for the wait, once again :) things have gotten super busy because I'm moving in two weeks! I'll do my best to post regularly, but no promises. Things will be crazy around here. But, we are getting closer to the end, still several more chapters, but it isn't too far off! Promise I'll get it all out to you guys eventually :) Anyway, thanks to everyone who has read/reviewed/favorited/followed, and hope you all enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

Chapter 10

Noah couldn't breathe. The hand against his heart clenched into a fist, gripping his shirt tightly. He felt as if his heart might explode from the pain. He had been grasping her hand when she looked at him, so he felt it all. Years worth of torture crushed him, brought him to his knees. The weight of her experiences was so much that he almost blacked out. He tore his gaze away from hers, trying to draw breath, but not succeeding.

"Noah!" his father shouted, coming up behind him and kneeling.

He ripped his hand out of Elsa's, leaning over on his hands as he tried to get his breath. After a few long seconds in which his head spun and his ears rang, he finally sucked in a breath, like a diver coming up for air. When his lungs were functioning correctly, he gulped in more air, still reeling from everything he had seen in her eyes.

"Son, what's wrong?" his father asked.

Noah held up a hand, silently asking him to wait. He pulled in a few more deep breaths before sitting back on his heels. His vision had blurred, but he discovered that it wasn't from unshed tears. He rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands, and eventually, everything came back into focus. He sat down on the floor, waiting for the ache in his chest to dull. After several moments, he finally looked up at his father.

"Call MS, Dad. Alpha." Alpha was the highest level of emergency. Meant for life or death situations.

Jim paled. "For Elsa?" he asked, eyes glancing at the bandage on the girl's neck.

Noah nodded. He sat up a little, reaching up and tugging a metal cord out from under Elsa's shirt. He slipped it over her head and then handed it to his father. "Her ID is on there. Get them here quick."

"Noah—" his father started.

"It was her parents," Noah growled. "They did this." His vision blurred again, but this time with tears. He let them spill over, running down his cheeks. He heard his father curse and then stand up, running for a phone. Reaching up to grasp Elsa's hand again, Noah returned his gaze to her. There was a mixture of blood and mud covering half of her face, the blood still running freely from a nasty cut above her right eye. He was pretty sure she was completely blacked out now. Her breathing had finally evened out, her eyes closed. He stroked the back of her hand with his thumb, suddenly feeling sick.

Just then, his mother entered the room with a small bucket of warm water and a handful of rags. Noah glanced up at her, wiping his face once again. Wordlessly, he reached out for the rags his mother was holding. She understood. Dipping one into the water and wringing it out, she handed it to him.

"When that one is too dirty, I'll hand you another. Be gentle with that cut," she said softly.

Noah nodded, standing up to sit on the edge of the couch beside Elsa. He tenderly wiped her clean, tears still streaming down his cheeks. He exchanged the rag for a clean one three times before he managed to get all the blood and dirt off her face. He moved to her neck, avoiding the bandage as he wiped the mud away. He hoped her Mark wouldn't get infected. His mother handed him one more clean rag, which he used to wipe her hands clean. By the time he finished, he was shaking with suppressed sobs.

"Come on, son. Go wash your hands. The people from MS should be here any minute now." Sarah stood up and gently tugged Noah to his feet. He trudged to the kitchen in a daze, washing the grime off his hands. He was drying them when he heard the front door open. He rushed into the living room, seeing a couple women that he'd never met before.

They skipped all the niceties, immediately rushing to Elsa's side. The shorter one glanced at Sarah. "We might need your help. We're going to have to get her cleaned up first. Is there a bathroom we could use? With a tub?"

Sarah nodded, directing them all to the master bedroom once they had picked up Elsa's limp form. Noah watched them go with a lump in his throat. His father came to put an arm around his shoulders. Noah gave up trying to hold it together and turned into his father's embrace, letting out a strangled sob. He was still feeling the aftereffects of reading her, his emotions shifting between what she had shown him and his own grief. He clung to his father, trying desperately to get himself under control. Jim eventually led him over to the couch, yanking off the sheet they had laid Elsa on before sitting Noah down.

Noah put his head in his hands, leaning against his knees. He let his tears drip onto the floor, closing his eyes and wishing that time would pass by quicker.

Jim sat down beside him and put a hand on his shoulder once again. "It was a doctor and a Mender that came, Noah. They'll be able to fix her up."

He nodded, head still in his hands. A Mender was a good thing. Menders were fairly common, but were likely one of the most useful Marked; they were healers, Control Marked that could manipulate muscle, tissue, bone, and in some cases, blood and organs. He knew she had several broken bones and bruises that needed to be taken care of. What he was really worried about was the emotional trauma she had been through. No one would be able to fix that, not for a long time. This would likely haunt her for years. With a nauseating twist of his stomach, Noah realized that this already _had_ been haunting her, almost every day of her life.

Noah and his father sat silently in the living room, waiting until someone came out to tell them how Elsa was doing. After a solid hour of sickening silence, Noah heard a door open. His mother walked down the hall and into the living room. He jumped up the second she had entered the room.

"Is she okay?" he asked quickly, swallowing past a lump in his throat.

Sarah sent him an uneasy smile. "She's better. We've got her cleaned up and healed. You can come see her. She's sleeping though," she added, when Noah made to rush past her. He nodded at his mother and walked a little slower toward the bedroom. He sucked in a deep breath before nudging the door open.

Elsa was stretched out on his parents' bed, wearing what Noah recognized as one of his mother's old t-shirts. She was much cleaner than before, all the mud washed from her hair. She looked much too peaceful for what she had just gone through. He walked up beside her and sat down on the edge of the bed, taking her hand once again. A few tears slipped down his cheeks as he reached out to brush a strand of hair away from her face.

The shorter lady from MS came to stand beside him. "We gave her some mild anesthesia. She'll be out for a few hours with no dreams, and if she isn't moved, she'll probably sleep through the night."

Noah nodded. After a few seconds, one of the few questions that mattered tumbled from his lips. "Her parents?"

The lady grimaced. "On their way to our building in Seattle in handcuffs. From what I saw just now, there is enough evidence to put them behind bars for the next ten years at least. But I have a feeling that what you have to add to that might put them away for life." She paused for a second, then sat down on the edge of the bed beside Noah. "Do you think you could tell me what you read?"

Reluctantly, Noah described to the woman everything that he could remember. Fortunately for her, that happened to be quite a lot. He spoke slowly, having to force the words out past his tears most of the time. She recorded everything he said, and wrote down a few things on a notepad in her lap. She asked him questions and he did his best to answer as accurately as he could. Luckily, he had a good memory. When she finished with her questions, she turned off the recording device, seeming satisfied.

"That should be a good enough account to keep Elsa from having to say anything."

Relief flooded him and Noah let out a sigh. A few more seconds of silence passed before he asked the most important question. "Will she be okay?" he whispered, still holding Elsa's hand tightly in his own. He glanced at her before looking back at the woman sitting beside him.

"She'll be fine. We healed all the broken bones and bruises, though some of them were deep enough that she'll probably be sore for a few days. Physically, she'll be just fine in a week or so." The lady sighed. "Mentally though, I'm not so sure. She'll need to talk to someone about this, but… For as long as we've known her, she's been incredibly shy and quiet. Now we know why, but…I'm not sure we'll be able to get her to talk to us." She paused for a few seconds. "Your mother said that you've actually gotten through to her. Do you think you'd be able to get her to talk?"

After a moments pause, Noah nodded. "I think so. She's been wanting to open up to me for years. And I'm pretty good with emotions, so I should be able to know when she needs to talk," he said, smiling just a little.

The lady nodded. "Get her to talk as often as you can. She needs to talk through this. Don't push her, but make sure she doesn't hold it all in. We'll be calling every evening to check up on her for the next several days. A week from now, we'll send someone out to check on her again, make sure she's healing properly. From that point, we'll probably call once a week for a while, just to keep an eye on things." She sighed, standing up and walking toward the door. "Don't worry about her parents, Noah. She won't ever have to see them again, I can promise you that."

Noah sighed with relief, nodding. He turned to glance at Elsa again as the lady shut the door. A few tears slipped down his cheeks again as he reached out, tucking a few strands of hair behind her ear. Leaning down, he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead, lingering for just a moment. When he pulled back, he brushed his thumb across her cheek. "I am _so_ sorry," he whispered.

He stood slowly, wiping his tears away. Then he slipped quietly out of the room, easing the door shut and joining everyone else in the living room. The two ladies from MS were seated on the couch, conversing with his parents. He slumped against the doorway to the kitchen, heart aching. Noah didn't listen to most of the conversation, as his mind was still in the bedroom with Elsa, but something his mother said made him pay a little more attention.

"We want her here," Sarah said. She was holding Jim's hand tightly, her face pale but determined. "We'll keep her, make sure she's taken care of. Can you possibly work that out?"

Noah snapped his head up, listening intently.

"Of course. You're willing to take her in until she's old enough to be on her own?"

Jim nodded. "As long as she needs to be here, she'll be welcome."

The lady smiled. "That would save us quite a bit of headache. Plus, I'm sure she'd be most comfortable with that. It will be easier for her to adjust here, around things that are familiar." She flipped through her notepad one more time, writing down a few more things before continuing. "We'll send someone to her house tomorrow to collect her things. And as soon as we have everything worked out and all the paperwork filled out, we'll come talk to you. That might take a few days. We'll have to call for an Influencer from federal. Sometimes unMarked are difficult to deal with in situations like this. But we'll get it all sorted out."

She stood then, her colleague following suit. "Well, I've got quite a mess to deal with back at headquarters, so we should probably get going. I'll call you tomorrow night."

Sarah nodded, walking them to the door. "Thank you so much," she said.

The ladies smiled and bade them all a good evening. Noah nearly snorted at that. It wasn't possible for him to have a good evening, not with Elsa passed out in his parents' bedroom. He still felt extremely shaken from the whole event, even though he had been assured that she was all right now. He wouldn't believe them until he could talk to her, until he could see for himself. He would stay up all night if he had to. The hours ticked by incredibly slowly, all of them just sitting in the living room in a daze. Every thirty minutes, his mother went to check on Elsa, making sure she hadn't woken up.

By the time their normal bedtime rolled around, Elsa was still sleeping soundly. His parents decided that they would take shifts, staying up to make sure she didn't panic if she woke up. Jim would take the first shift, letting Sarah catch some sleep in the guest bedroom upstairs. Noah stubbornly refused to sleep in his room, opting instead for the couch and making his parents promise to wake him up if Elsa woke. He tried to keep his eyes open once his father went to sit in the master bedroom, but exhaustion finally forced his eyes closed.

In the early hours of the morning, he was gently shaken awake by his mother. "Noah," she whispered. "Elsa's awake. She wants to see you." His eyes snapped open and he jumped up so fast that he almost collided with his mother. He all but ran to the bedroom, composing himself just enough to push the door open slowly. She was propped up a little on some pillows, her eyes closed. Noah could almost feel her exhaustion. The sound of him shutting the door made her open her eyes.

"Elsa," Noah whispered hoarsely. He couldn't help it. He ran to her, sitting down on the edge of the bed and pulling her into a hug. It wasn't long before both of them were crying. Tears rolled silently down Noah's cheeks as he held her, letting her sob in his arms. She was a jumble of emotions, ranging from a lingering depression to confusion. It was quite a long while before she stopped crying.

Noah pulled back as soon as he thought she wouldn't mind. He tenderly raised a hand to her cheek, stroking her pale skin with his thumb. "Are you okay? Do you still hurt?"

She shook her head, glancing down at the covers that were pulled up to her waist. "I'm fine." A few seconds later, she looked up at Noah, her eyes locking with his. They told him everything, but she spoke anyway. "I'm so sorry," she whispered. "So, _so_ sorry. I didn't want to keep it from you. But I—"

Noah pulled her back into an embrace, cutting her off. "Shh. You have nothing to be sorry for. I understand." He wrapped his arms around her, one hand making its way up to the hair at the nape of her neck. She trembled slightly in his arms, a shaky breath leaving her. Noah wished that he never had to let her go. For the thousandth time in the last twelve hours, he thought of all the times that he could have figured out her secret, all the times that he could have helped her. He desperately wished that he had been able to fix all of this years earlier.

Eventually, he pulled back a little, reaching up to wipe away a few more of her tears. He tipped her head back to glance at her eyes. Confusion and uncertainty pervaded her mind. "Do you have questions?" he asked softly.

Elsa nodded. "I don't remember much after I passed out in my room. I remember walking to your house. It was raining. And I think I remember you opening the door, but…" She paused, trying to remember anything past that point. She shook her head. "I remember showing you what had happened. But everything past that…I can't remember at all."

Noah pulled her closer, fiddling with the sleeve of her shirt. "Well, when I opened the door, you dropped almost instantly. I managed to catch you before you hit the porch and brought you inside. We were all kinda panicked. You should have heard Mom, she was almost in hysterics. She was in the kitchen getting some rags and water to clean you up when you looked at me." Noah paused, wondering how much he should tell her. "That was the worst I've ever felt in my life. You zoned out right after you looked at me, so that's why you can't remember past that, but…" He sighed. "The weight of what I'd seen sent me to my knees. I couldn't breathe for a few seconds. It was over quickly, but your emotions still lingered. It took them a couple hours to completely fade."

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

He shook his head. "Don't be. I'm glad you showed me. After that, I pulled out your dog tags and got Dad to call MS with an Alpha. They were here in less than ten minutes. You'd completely passed out by that point. They took you into my parents' bedroom then. I stayed in the living room with Dad while they cleaned you up. Took an hour. I thought I was going to be sick, waiting that long."

They were silent for a few minutes. Noah knew her next question without her having to ask it. "Your parents are currently in a cell in the MS building in Seattle. The lady that was here last night said they'll probably be there for the rest of their lives. And she promised that you won't ever have to see them again."

She pulled back and glanced at him, her disbelief showing clearly in her eyes. "Wait…are you—"

Noah stared at her intently. "I would never lie about something like that, Els. They're gone. For good." He watched her eyes fill rapidly with tears again, then pulled her into an embrace, tugging her into his lap as she let out a sob. "It's over," he whispered, putting a hand against the back of her head to hold her closer. He rocked her gently, closing his eyes with sadness. She had been through too much in her young life. Sixteen years of misery and torment. Her relief was so strong that he was sure he'd be able to feel it even if he wasn't touching her bare skin.

He let her cry for a long time, reading her emotions and knowing that she really needed to get it out. He could feel his shirt dampening with her tears, but he couldn't care less. He was incredibly glad that she finally felt comfortable enough to cry in his arms. With a jolt, Noah realized that he didn't have to be bonded to her to want to spend the rest of his life with her. In that moment, he didn't care if he was bonded to her or not, he simply knew that he wanted to be the one to take care of her from then on out.

A soft knock on the door brought his head up. Elsa ignored it, still crying softly into his shirt. Noah watched as his mother slipped into the room, a box of tissues in her hand. She set them on the nightstand closest to him and sent him a soft smile before making her way back out of the room. Noah's heart warmed with gratitude. He would have to remember to thank his mother later. Reaching to his right, he pulled out a few tissues and handed them to Elsa.

It took her quite a while to calm down, but eventually her tears slowed to a stop. She rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands, sitting up a little and glancing at Noah's shirt. She sent him a weak smile, brushing a hand across the damp spot she'd made. "Sorry," she whispered.

Noah chuckled softly. "Don't worry about it. You needed that." He reached for her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. He had one more thing to tell her, and he was sure it would cause a few more tears, so he decided to go ahead and get it over with. "Els…there's something else." He paused, watching her glance up at him, worry in her eyes. He shook his head. "Nothing bad. But…well, my parents talked to the people from MS last night. The ladies said that you didn't have any family to go to. So my parents, they…they told the ladies that they wanted to keep you here. Mom wants to, well, make you part of the family. I think she would have fought to keep you here even if you did have family somewhere."

She blinked rapidly, staring at him. There was a mixture of disbelief and wonder in her eyes. He reached up to thumb away a few tears that had slipped down her cheeks, watching her eyes to know what she was thinking. He nodded in response to her silent question, wondering if he was telling the truth.

She choked out a sob, throwing her arms around his neck with enough force to topple them backwards into the pillows. He read waves and waves of gratitude from her, still streaked through with disbelief and confusion. Without looking at her eyes, Noah could tell that she wanted to know why. He held on to her tightly, her head resting on his shoulder as she sobbed. He reached up to stroke her hair as he answered her unasked question.

"My mom knows how much I care about you. I've been talking to her about you since I was eight. Honestly, she cares just as much for you as I do. And so does my dad. When you came to the door last night…" He paused letting out a sigh. "Both of my parents looked as sick as I felt. My mom burst into tears and ran for some stuff to clean you up with. Dad…he actually cried, Els. I've only seen him cry once in my life, and that was when my grandfather passed away. They care for you."

Her emotions were so strong that they nearly took his breath away. She was thankful, more thankful than she'd ever been in her life. Relief and happiness washed through her. She was astonished at how things had turned out, hardly believing it. Still, there was an inkling of melancholy that colored it all, and Noah couldn't help but pull her closer. His heart cried out for her, aching for all that she'd been through. He knew things would get better from here on out, but he wished with all his heart that her childhood had been different. With a sigh, he held her tighter against him, letting her cry for as long as she needed.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Hello everyone! Sorry once again for the long wait! As I said last time, I'm in the process of moving, so things have been incredibly hectic. I've been so crazy busy and just now found some time to sit down and post the next chapter. I'll try to get out one more this week, but if I can't find the time, hopefully it will come early next week! We're approaching the end of this story, just a little bit of closure and finishing touches really, but there are still a few chapters left :) hopefully you've all been enjoying it! Anyway, here's chapter 11, enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 11

It took Elsa a long time to calm down. She wasn't sure if she would ever be able to tell him just how thankful she was; there just weren't words powerful enough to express it. When her sobs had quieted to silent tears, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes, trying to get a grip on herself for a little while. Her muscles ached from being tensed for so long and her eyes were itching from shedding so many tears. It took her a few minutes of quiet, but she finally realized the position they were in. She shoved herself up, glancing at Noah, color rushing into her cheeks. He tilted his head to the side, silently questioning her. She couldn't help herself; she met his gaze with her own, trying to make her thanks the only thought in her head.

Noah ended up reading much more than just thanks. Her emotions were raw and unrestrained, telling him so much more than she would feel comfortable saying with words. He knew exactly how she felt about him, but he could tell that she didn't understand her own feelings. He saw her hesitation, her uncertainty. She didn't have anyone to look toward as an example, so she wasn't sure if what she was feeling was just a teenage crush or something…more. Noah, being the emotional expert that he was, could have told her exactly what she was feeling. But he wanted her to be able to figure it out on her own.

He tried to ignore her feelings for him, for the most part. It felt unfair to him, that he knew the true depth of her feelings even before she did. He also knew how special it would be for her to tell him how she felt, and he didn't want to take that from her. So he didn't push her, didn't do anything that would make her think he was trying to rush things. He wanted her to make the moves, or at least to let him know that she was ready for more.

After a few moments of silence, the two of them just staring into each others' eyes, Elsa finally dropped her gaze. Noah leaned up on his elbows, staring at her. He watched her shoulders droop as she sighed, closing her eyes. Noah knew she was completely exhausted, even after hours of sleep. It would take her a few days to recover her strength. He started to shift a little to get more comfortable, but stopped moving when he read a spike of mild panic from her.

"Elsa," he said softly. "It's okay, I'm not going anywhere. I was just trying to get more comfortable."

She glanced up, watching him shimmy down so that he was mostly lying flat, propped up a little on pillows. "Sorry. I just…I'm still tired, and I'm afraid I'll fall asleep again. If you're here, I think I might could go to sleep, but…" She bit her lip, rolling the edge of the sheets between her fingers. "I normally have nightmares, so…"

"I understand," Noah said, sending her a sad smile. He motioned for her to lie down beside him. "Come here. If you need to get some more sleep, go ahead. I'll be right here the whole time. Promise." She hesitated, seemingly caught between a desperate need for more sleep and embarrassment at the thought of sleeping with him. After a moment of indecisiveness, sleep won out and she eased herself down beside him, resting her head on his chest. She hesitated again for just a second before draping an arm across his torso and snuggling into him. Noah had to bite his lip to keep from grinning like a fool. Her emotions weren't helping his situation much either; embarrassment was pushed to the back of her mind, still there, but overridden by pleasure and contentment.

"You're warm," she murmured.

"A little too warm, actually." He knew from reading her last night that she was much more comfortable in cooler temperatures. He wanted to know what else she could do, but he would wait until she was in a better frame of mind before he asked her to show off for him. "Els, why don't you lower the temperature a bit? I know you're more comfortable with it cold."

"You sure?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah," he said, reaching across her to tug a blanket over them. "I'll be fine. I'm usually hot when I sleep anyway."

The temperature dropped rapidly, staying just warm enough that his breath didn't fog out in front of him. Noah knew it wasn't as cold as she normally kept it in her room, but she had compromised for him so he wouldn't freeze. He smiled, wrapping his arms around Elsa's small frame just as she drifted off to sleep. He stayed awake for a while longer, gently running his fingers down her braid, lost in thought. The soft sound of her even breathing comforted him. The previous evening had been rough for both of them; Noah was still trying to convince himself that everything was okay now. With a slight sinking feeling in his heart, he remembered her disbelief when he had told her his parents wanted her to live with them. He wondered how long it would take her to get used to having a proper family.

Eventually, he succumbed to sleep as well. The few hours that he'd gotten the night before hadn't even been close to enough after all that had happened. He woke up several hours later, Elsa still sleeping soundly beside him. She had buried her fingers under his side in her sleep. He smiled to himself, reaching up to brush a strand of hair away from her face. He glanced at the clock beside him, noticing that it was a couple hours before noon. If he remembered correctly, Elsa hadn't eaten anything since breakfast the day before. He was sure she'd be starving, but he didn't want to wake her up. He lay there debating it for a while, but his thoughts were eventually interrupted by the sound of the door opening.

Noah's mother walked in, looking a little haggard, but still smiling. She was carrying a box in her hands, and she set it down at the end of the bed before coming to kneel beside him. She glanced around the room, rubbing her arms as goosebumps broke out on them.

"Why is it so chilly in here?" she asked.

Noah chuckled quietly. He nodded his head toward Elsa. "She's a Control, Mom. Ice. She likes it cold. I told her to drop the temperature so she could sleep better."

"Ah," his mother said softly, smiling. "Has she woken up at all?" she whispered.

Noah shook his head. "I don't think so. I slept a little too, but you know I'm a light sleeper, so if she'd woken up I probably would have known."

Sarah nodded. "MS came by a few minutes ago. They brought her things over." She frowned, eyeing the box that she'd set down on the floor. "There were only three boxes, Noah. Not even big ones. One with a handful of personal items, and the other two with clothes. And the personal items weren't even…" She sighed, shaking her head. She flicked her gaze toward Elsa, then glanced at Noah to make sure she was still asleep. Sleeping people's emotions always felt different to him, slightly muted and washed out. Noah nodded at her, and she continued. "It was just a handful of things for school, for the most part. A couple books, some bathroom things. That was it."

Noah clenched his jaw, trying to keep a lid on his anger. "I can't believe what they…" He closed his eyes, breathing in deeply through his nose and exhaling slowly. When he opened his eyes again, he glanced at his mother. "Mom, you really don't want to know what all they did. Not letting her have anything of her own was the least of it. Some of the things I saw in her eyes last night…they were—"

He broke off abruptly, glancing at Elsa. Her emotions had shifted drastically. She had been in the non-feeling stage of sleep for a while, but she was certainly feeling things now. He knew she was still asleep, but what he felt from her was sharper than emotions normally were from people who were sleeping. It was powerful enough that Noah thought it probably would have woken him up if he'd been asleep. It didn't take any thought on his part to know that she was having a nightmare; the emotions he read from her explained that well enough. He gently shook her shoulder, trying to wake her up.

"Elsa," he said softly. He shook her some more, raising his eyebrows when she still didn't wake. Clearly, she was a heavy sleeper. He shook her a little harder, calling her name louder than before. She jerked awake, but stayed huddled against Noah's side, gripping him tightly. He could feel her rapid heartbeat where her chest was pressed against his. Her fingers curled into his shirt. Noah rubbed her back, trying to calm her down. "It's okay, Els. It was just a dream."

She nodded, closing her eyes again and breathing deeply to calm her racing heart. Sarah took that time to stand up, motioning to Noah to say that she'd be right back. She returned moments later with two more boxes, one smaller than the other, which she placed on top of the one she'd already brought in. Then she sat down on the edge of the bed at Noah's hip. She reached out to comfort Elsa, but thought better of it at the last minute, pulling her hand back. More than likely, Elsa was still afraid of touch. Noah seemed exempt from that rule, but Sarah guessed that Elsa felt more comfortable around him than she ever had anyone else.

"Elsa, dear," Sarah said softly. "MS brought your things by a few minutes ago. There are some boxes here with clothes in them, if you want to change into something that fits you better."

Elsa opened her eyes, glancing up at Sarah. The loving smile that was sent her way was something that she wasn't used to seeing from anyone except Noah. She lowered her gaze, staring at Noah's shirt. "If you don't mind, I'd like to stay in these."

Sarah understood. "That's fine, dear. We can toss these clothes and go get you some new ones as soon as you feel up to it."

"That would be nice," Elsa whispered.

Noah pulled a hand up, gently stroking her cheek with his thumb. He placed two fingers beneath her chin, tilting her head up a little so she was looking at him. "Just one request," he said. "Not all long-sleeve shirts and pants."

She was quiet for a minute, watching him. Noah followed the flow of her emotions, already thinking of a protest if she refused. But he didn't need it. After a few seconds of silence, she nodded. "Okay," she said softly.

They all sat there quietly for a few minutes, Noah reading Elsa's emotions with an aching heart. She was already starting to relive what she had gone through the previous day. Oblivious to the mental turmoil the two teens were going through, Sarah stood up and spoke. "Well, I'm sure you're both hungry. Elsa, what would you like to eat? Anything that you'd like in particular? I can see if I have it here." Noah silently thanked his mother for the convenient interruption.

Elsa thought for a moment. "Something that fills me up would be fine," she said quietly.

Noah's heart clenched painfully. He watched his mother's emotions shift, darkening with her mood. She was hurt for Elsa, angry at the girl's parents for doing what they did to their own child, concerned, but most of all, sympathetic. She felt bad for Elsa. Noah watched her tear up slightly before she got her emotions under control.

"Sweetheart, I can promise you that every meal will fill you up in this house."

Noah decided to intervene, sensing Elsa's emotions take a plunge toward intensely depressing. "How about some chocolate chip waffles, Mom? Kinda sounds good, don't you think, Els?" She nodded.

"I can do that," Sarah said, voice slightly stuffier than normal. She sniffed as she made her way out of the bedroom, closing the door behind her. Noah was pretty sure that she was crying by now. He felt like crying himself, but he wanted to be strong for Elsa. Eventually, she would have to talk about what she went through, to get it out of her system. When that time came, he would hear plenty of things that would shake him, but he would have to stay strong then too. Might as well start now.

He brought his hand up once again to brush his thumb across her cheek. He needed to get her thoughts away from where they were currently. This was too soon; she didn't need to talk about it just yet. "Elsa," he said softly. "You'll need to talk about all this eventually, but I don't think right now is a very good idea. So I want you to shift your thoughts for me, okay? I can kiss you again if you want, it worked last time," he said, smiling a little.

She tensed beside him, her emotions abruptly changing direction. Noah laughed. "Even talking about it distracts you. I'll have to remember that," he teased.

Elsa sat up, mumbling something about him trying to embarrass her. She rubbed her cheeks, which had flushed a brilliant shade of red. She crossed her legs and sat facing away from him, determined to keep her gaze away from his so that he couldn't read her thoughts. Her emotions were embarrassing enough at the moment; she didn't need him knowing exactly where her thoughts were straying.

Noah chuckled again, sitting up and wrapping his arms around Elsa's waist. He leaned down to rest his chin on her shoulder. "Elsa," he whispered. "It's okay." He paused for a second, then noticed her slight confusion. "You don't have to be embarrassed about the way you feel. It's perfectly normal. And anyway, I like that you feel that way," he said softly.

"You do?" she asked quietly.

His chest tightened, hearing the disbelief in her voice. "Of course I do. It would be a bit depressing if the girl I liked didn't like me back." She sat there in stunned silence for a moment. Noah frowned as he followed her emotions. "I thought you knew I liked you," he said, taking his chin off her shoulder and staring at the back of her head. He grabbed her shoulders, turning her toward him. "What did you think I kissed you for?" he asked.

"I…" She trailed off, cheeks still flushed, glancing down at the covers on the bed.

Noah's heart sank when he realized her reasoning. "It's that hard for you to think it's possible for someone to like you?" He shook his head, a flash of anger heating his blood. "Those bastards…I can't believe what they…" Noah bit his tongue to stop the words from spilling out of his mouth. He gave Elsa a gentle nudge, making her turn all the way around to face him, then reached up and gently grasped her chin, forcing her to look at him. "Elsa, everything they ever said to you is so far from the truth. You are beautiful, smart, caring…a blessing to me each and every day. You aren't worthless, you aren't a waste of space, you aren't anything to be ashamed of, and you certainly aren't a mistake. Everything they spouted off about you was just a way for them to keep you downtrodden enough to not seek help. None of it was true."

He shifted his hand, thumbing away her tears. "Yes, I mean it. You're the smartest person I know, and you are easily the most beautiful girl I've ever met in my life, inside and out. I'll do everything I can from here on out to make you believe me. Because everything your parents ever said to you was a lie, Els. A _lie_ ," he whispered forcefully. He gently pulled her forward, placing a soft kiss against her temple. When he pulled back, he watched her attempt to blink away more tears. With an aching heart, he slipped his arms underneath her and tugged her into his lap. She shuddered against him, clearly trying to hold back her sobs. "It's okay," he whispered. "Let it out."

Elsa fisted his shirt, turning so that she could press her forehead into the crook of his neck. She let years of built-up heartache and misery wash over her, tears spilling silently down her cheeks. She had wanted to believe that Noah liked her, but after being told for so long that she was worthless, it was hard to let herself believe, even if it was right in front of her eyes.

Noah let her cry for a while, hoping that she could get some of this out of her system. When she had finally stopped trembling in his arms, he sighed, holding her tightly against his chest. "I'm sorry, Els. I didn't mean for that to go downhill so rapidly. Let's try to shift your thoughts again, shall we?" He pulled back a little, gently nudging her until she sat up. Then he leaned forward and placed a soft kiss against her cheek. Smiling, he rested his forehead against hers. "That's better," he whispered when he felt a spark of happiness in her.

Elsa gave him a watery smile. Noah reached up to brush away the last of her tears. "All right, no more tears for now, okay? Let's go do something. I need to show you the rest of the house." He slipped off the bed and grabbed her hand, tugging her with him. "Since, you know, you kinda need to know where things are where you live." He sent her a wink. She smiled a little and glanced shyly at the floor.

He pulled her around the bottom floor first, showing her his father's office, which was never used, and the main living areas. He didn't want to take her out to see Bear just yet, so he skipped the backyard and went upstairs. He nudged open the door to the guest room, then showed her the room they didn't really use. Sarah used it as a small library, but she rarely ever read up there. She preferred the back porch. Noah closed the door to the spare room, taking Elsa's hand again. "I'm not sure where Mom will want to put you. Either of those rooms would work, I suppose."

He walked back toward the stairs, pushing open a door on the left. "And this is my room," he said, tugging her inside. Elsa glanced around the room, which was surprisingly tidy. The walls were a deep, navy blue. A queen sized bed sat against the wall to the left, pale gray covers with a rich mahogany headboard and footboard. There were two nightstands, one on each side of the bed, and a dresser against the wall to the right, all with the same dark wood. There was a desk underneath the window that looked out into the backyard. Elsa walked farther into the room and fingered the covers on his bed. In a corner by the desk, an acoustic guitar stood on a stand.

"I like it," she said quietly, sending him a small smile. She eyed the guitar again. "Do you play or is it just for looks?"

Noah rubbed the back of his neck with one hand. "I play, actually. My grandmother got it for me for Christmas when I was younger. Mom thinks I could get a scholarship for music performance with it, but I dunno." He sighed, dropping his hand back to his side and smiling. "Anyway, that's it. Just the backyard, but you can see it from here, and I want to leave that for later. I have a dog, Bear. He's huge, and a bit energetic, so I want you to be completely comfortable with going out there before we do."

Elsa nodded. A few seconds later, they heard his mother calling to them from downstairs. Noah came to grab her hand again, leading her toward the stairs. Elsa told Noah on the way down that the only chocolate she'd ever had had been in the cookies he'd gotten for her back in elementary school. He scoffed at that and then handed her a plate with chocolate chip waffles on it. He grinned at her expression when she took her first bite.

"I think I've discovered a new love."

Noah laughed. He chattered away to her while she ate, stuffing bites of his own waffles in between his sentences. When they'd eaten their fill, he pulled her into the living room and got her playing Mario Kart with him. She ended up seated between his legs on the couch, Noah's arms wrapped around her waist, holding his controller in front of her to play. It worked well, until she really got the hang of the game. Then Noah started getting more animated with his playing; he'd never been beaten so consistently before. They spent a few hours playing, then just sat on the couch and talked for a while. Noah made sure to keep the topics well away from anything that would trigger bad memories for her.

After dinner, they turned on a movie and cuddled up on the couch, Elsa once again seated between his legs. She leaned back against him, her head leaning against his neck. Noah could feel her exhaustion getting the better of her as the movie wore on. Halfway through, his mother walked out of the room to accept the call from MS. When she returned from the kitchen, Elsa was sound asleep in Noah's arms. Sarah smiled softly at them, Noah glancing her way and smiling in return.

"She must still be exhausted," his mother said.

Noah nodded. "I think she will be for a few more days. She had a rough day yesterday."

"Yes, she did," Sarah said quietly. She glanced at Jim, who nodded at her, before she continued. "Noah, why don't you take her up to your room?"

He blinked at his mother, slightly confused. Surely he hadn't heard her right. "Uh, my room?"

His mother smiled at him. "She needs you, son. Plus, with everything that Dr. Brennan told us, your father and I honestly don't mind. Now, that's not to say you're free to do what you like. I don't want grandchildren just yet. But…well, we trust you."

Noah swallowed thickly, trying his best not to blush. "Right. Mom, you know I'd never…"

Jim gave his wife a soft smile before cutting in. "Maybe not right now, son, but later on… I promise, it will get hard at some point. We're trusting you to make the right decision when that time comes."

Noah nodded. "Yes sir. I understand."

Sarah came up beside him and placed a kiss on top of his head. "Go on, take your girl upstairs. She needs rest. If you need anything, at any hour, just send me a text. If I don't answer quickly, call me, or come get me if you can."

"Thanks, Mom," he said softly. Gently, so as not to wake her, Noah slipped his hands under Elsa's small frame and lifted her into his arms. She shifted a little, turning into his chest, but otherwise didn't react. She was still sound asleep. Noah smiled softly, holding back a sudden desire to lean down and brush his lips against her forehead. He quietly said goodnight to his parents and made his way upstairs. He nudged his door open with his shoulder and entered the room, closing the door with his foot. Walking to the bed, he reached out with one hand to flip the covers back. Then he gently placed Elsa down, tugging the covers up to her shoulders.

He changed into pajamas in his bathroom, slipping back into the bedroom and turning off the lights before climbing into bed. Smiling a little, Noah scooted closer to Elsa, tugging the covers up. Instinctively, she rolled toward him and cuddled into his side. Noah grinned stupidly to himself. He lay there for a few hours, listening to the quiet sound of her even breathing, happier than he'd been in a very long time.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Oh my goodness, guys, moving is stressful. But, we're finally all unpacked and settled in, so hopefully I'll be able to post a bit more often! I feel like I've been neglecting you guys. Anyway, we're approaching the end with this story anyway, just a few finishing touches really. A couple more chapters after this one and we're done! Thanks to everyone who has read, reviewed, favorited, and/or followed! You're all the best and I always love seeing your comments! Enjoy this next chapter everyone!**

* * *

Chapter 12

Noah woke to soft sunlight filtering into his room through the window. He blinked a few times to clear his eyes of the fog of sleep. It took him a few seconds to remember why there was something warm curled up against his side. He glanced sideways, eyes finding the top of Elsa's platinum blonde head. He watched her for a minute, her gentle breathing telling him that she was still asleep. They had somehow shifted during the night; Elsa's head was resting on his shoulder, one of her legs draped over his. Noah's arm was wrapped around her, his hand resting on her back. He sighed and pulled her closer. This was definitely something he could get used to.

He thought back to the conversation he'd had with his parents the night before, once again having to fight back a blush. He certainly wouldn't be doing what his mother was hinting at, not for a long time. On top of the fact that he felt it wasn't quite appropriate just yet, Elsa had been through way too much to be able to handle that level of physical affection at this point. He was actually worried that she was going to panic when she woke up just because they'd slept together for an entire night. He was also positive that she would want to know why his parents had allowed this, which would mean he would need to explain some things that he'd been keeping from her.

He had known for the past several years just how special their relationship was. He'd had a feeling ever since he'd met her, but when he bonded to her it was confirmed. He realized now that if he had been old enough to understand, he would have known she was his soulmate from the very beginning. Several years ago, Noah had thought that the information would be too much for her to handle, so he hadn't said anything to her. But now, he knew she could handle it. It wasn't like he could keep it from her for much longer anyway. He would just have to break it to her as gently as he could. Well could he remember the shock he'd felt when he first found out.

Noah lay still for a long time, his thoughts keeping him occupied. When the sunlight coming through the window was a little brighter, Elsa finally stirred against him. He blinked and braced himself for her emotions. Sure enough, when she was awake enough to realize where she was, her panic washed over him. "It's okay, Els. It's just me." The emotions that followed made him glad he wasn't glancing at her eyes just yet. He wasn't sure if he could handle the way she was feeling, a mixture of embarrassment, thrill, and contentment. He had a feeling he knew her reasons, but he chose to ignore them for the time being.

Elsa had tensed when she'd finally realized where she was, but after a few more seconds of lying there, she let herself relax once again. She buried her fingers under Noah's side, twisting them into his shirt. In an attempt to calm her racing heart, she breathed in deeply through her nose. That ended up not helping the situation much, because she discovered suddenly that whatever body wash he used made him smell amazing. She swallowed thickly. A thought struck her then and she tensed again. "Umm, are…are we going to— I mean, are we…allowed to be…like this?" she stuttered out, feeling her cheeks heat with a flush.

Noah chuckled. "My parents were the ones who told me to carry you up here last night. They're fine with it."

"Really?" she asked, bewildered. "Why would they be okay with this? I mean, we're sixteen and…"

He reached up to rub his thumb between her shoulder blades, leaning his head to the side to rest against hers. "That's a bit of a long story. But it's time you heard it, so I guess I'll explain." He brought his other hand up to reach across himself and rest against her waist, hugging her tightly to his side. "I suppose I'll start at the beginning. Do you remember the first time you came to my house?"

"I'm not sure I'll ever be able to forget that," she whispered.

Noah's heart clenched. "Yeah," he said softly. "Well, do you remember what happened that weekend?"

She was silent for a few seconds, thinking. "You mean when you bonded to me?"

"Yeah," he answered, still absentmindedly rubbing her back. "Well, that Monday I called MS. I had called them over the weekend, and called them back on Monday when things got better. Remember I told you some of the things that Dr. Brennan said to me?" He waited for her to nod, then continued. "Well, I didn't tell you everything he told me. I… Well, looking back on it now, I probably should have told you. I was just worried that you wouldn't be able to handle the information at the time."

Elsa gripped him tightly, her heart doing a relay race in her chest. "Handle…what…exactly?"

Noah sighed. "Elsa, I'm the type of person, and so is Dr. Brennan, that believes there's somebody out there for everybody. Everyone has a match, someone that they work best with. I don't think everyone finds their match, but a lot of people do. Dr. Brennan calls them soulmates. The one person that you're most compatible with, that you could spend the rest of your life with happily." He heard her breath hitch as what he was saying sank in.

"Dr. Brennan is like me, Els. He's a Reader too. He reads people differently than I do, but it boils down to the same thing. He's been studying our kind for the last several years. And he came to a few conclusions recently. He said that…well, Marked like us, we're special. We have the ability to recognize our soulmates, because choosing who you want to spend your life with is very emotion-based. Some of us don't find our soulmates for years, some are blessed with finding them early. But when we do find them…" He paused again, taking a deep breath. "We bond to them."

There was a long moment of silence. "So, you…" Elsa paused, swallowing. "We…we're…"

"Soulmates," Noah whispered, reaching up to stroke her cheek. "If you choose to believe that. Either way, even if I wasn't bonded to you, I…" He paused again, steeling his nerves. "I know I would want to spend the rest of my life with you regardless."

A single tear trickled down Elsa's cheek. "You mean that?" she asked softly.

"More than I've ever meant anything in my life. Something has drawn me to you from the very beginning, Elsa. I've always thought you were stunning, even when we were little, but that wasn't it. I caught glimpses of the personality that you were determined to keep hidden, and that's what I…" He paused once more, trying to collect his thoughts. "Everything about you, Els…your looks, your personality. The way your eyebrows scrunch together when you're upset about something. The way you frown when something puzzles you. That air about you when you talk about something that you're passionate about. The way you blush when I look at you the right way. Your heart, your spirit, your strength. The way you keep going even when things look bad, when things are hard. Everything that makes you who you are, Elsa…that's what I fell in love with."

She took a shuddering breath, tears slipping steadily down her cheeks. Pressing herself closer to his side, she closed her eyes, trying to get a grip on her emotions. He would know just how much that meant to her. And she was still trying to figure out what to think about what he'd told her before…soulmates. She took another deep breath, calmer this time. A very small part of her was upset with him for keeping this from her. He'd known for years now; it almost felt like he'd been… No. She shut that thought off before she could finish it. Noah had had her best interests at heart, he always did. And if she was being honest…her heart was soaring right now. She turned her head and grinned into his chest, barely holding back a laugh of pure happiness.

Noah smiled, reading her emotions. Still, he felt the need to apologize. "Els, I really am sorry for keeping it from you for so long. I should have—"

"No. I understand why you didn't tell me," she interrupted, pushing herself up into a sitting position and wiping her tears away. She scooted up to sit beside Noah, leaning against the headboard as he sat up. "Honestly, at the time, I probably _wouldn't_ have been able to handle it. If you had told me then…" She shook her head. "I think I would have been miserable. Knowing that— that we were…" Elsa paused, blushing. "Well, I just…it would have felt like I could never have you, even though I needed you," she finished softly.

Reaching out to grasp her hand, he threaded their fingers together, smiling. "So…what do you think about all this?"

Elsa bit her lip, smiling. A flush crept into her cheeks and she looked down at their clasped hands. "You're the Reader. You tell me," she said quietly, a laugh behind her words.

Noah laughed, turning to face her. "It's just a guess, but I'm thinking you won't mind if I do this," he said, his hand coming up to rest against her jaw. His fingers threaded into the hair just behind her ear, his thumb stroking her cheek. He watched her eyes, grinning when he read them. He pulled her closer, his lips meeting hers. Her emotions hit him with enough force to take his breath away. With his lips pressing against hers, he could feel her emotions even without looking into her eyes. Feeling her pleasure…the sensation sent a wave of shivers down his spine. He couldn't help himself; he pulled her into his lap, heart pounding furiously in his chest.

Elsa wrapped one hand around the back of his neck, her other hand fisting his shirt. She pulled herself into him as he wrapped his arms around her waist. Her pulse had started racing the moment their lips touched, but when he nipped at her bottom lip, her heart rate doubled. Her breath caught in her throat. Seemingly of their own accord, her lips parted, and Noah took advantage, slipping his tongue into her mouth. The instant their tongues touched, Elsa felt a flash of emotions that certainly didn't feel like her own. She was feeling the same things, but she knew they weren't hers. The rush of pleasure could only have come from Noah. The feeling made her brain go fuzzy, a flutter stirring in her chest. She unclenched the hand gripping his shirt and spread her fingers out, pushing against his chest. The hand that was against the back of his neck slipped upwards, fingers curling into his hair.

Noah felt a swell in her emotions and he picked up the pace, one hand slipping back up to cup her cheek. With the hand that was still at her waist, he fingered the edge of her shirt before slipping his thumb underneath, rubbing gentle circles against her skin. Adrenaline was pulsing in his veins, making it hard to think. His blood was rushing in his ears. The need to breathe finally overwhelmed him and he pulled back, sucking in a deep breath. The rush of oxygen calmed his thoughts enough for him to realize that they really needed to stop. He leaned his forehead against hers, brushing his thumb against her cheek.

"We are _so_ in trouble," he whispered, still trying to catch his breath.

Elsa closed her eyes, breathing rapidly. "Yeah, we are," she said breathlessly. She pulled back a little and dropped her head to his shoulder, desperately trying to calm her racing heart.

"I could—" Noah paused, swallowing thickly. "I could feel your emotions. I mean, actually feel them. Without looking in your eyes."

She nodded against his shoulder. "I know. I could feel yours."

"Wait, what?" Noah asked, bewildered.

Elsa leaned backwards, her gaze flicking up to his chin before deciding that she didn't really want Noah reading her thoughts at the moment. She dropped her gaze and nodded. "Not at first. But when you— ah…" She swallowed, her heart thumping loudly in her chest. "Y-your tongue, when you…well, I felt what you did," she breathed out, reaching up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.

Noah blinked. "Well…I didn't know I could do _that_."

She laughed, reaching up to place her hand on his chest again. "Now I know what you feel like when you look in my eyes. That was…" She trailed off, not really sure how to explain it. The words that came to mind weren't enough. Incredible didn't cover it. She glanced up, her eyes locking with his.

He smiled, thumb stroking her jaw. "Yeah," he whispered. He was still staring at her eyes, following her thoughts. Her emotions were making her nervous. His smile softened as he read her. "We'll take it easy from here. Don't worry. I won't pressure you into anything."

Elsa nodded, then dropped her gaze. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I just…"

Noah placed a finger against her lips. "Shh. I know, it's okay."

"It's not that I—" Elsa sighed, cutting herself off. "I mean, that was…incredible. I just don't want anything to…get out of control," she said softly. She decided it was a good time to be honest with him. "I've been holding back a lot when it comes to you…for a while now. I mean, I know you could tell that I liked you, but…for the past year or so, it's been much more than that. There have been a few times that I…" She trailed off, her cheeks radiating heat. Swallowing, she glanced at his chest, his muscles showing through his undershirt. "I don't know if you realize how attractive you are," she whispered. "Especially since you, uh— bulked up. Sometimes…my thoughts get a little carried away."

Noah blinked, then a grin broke out on his face. He reached up to place a hand on the back of her neck, pulling her forward so he could rest his forehead against hers. "Really, now?"

"Yeah," she said, swallowing thickly. "So, umm…I mean, I just don't want us to…"

His smile softened once again. "I understand, Els." He leaned forward just a little, pressing his lips softly to hers. He was slow and gentle this time, holding back enough that he wouldn't be tempted to deepen the kiss. When he pulled back, they locked eyes. Noah had to hold back a few tears at the look she gave him. He leaned against her forehead again, smiling. "Well…good morning," he said breathlessly.

It was enough to ease the tiny bit of tension in the room. Elsa laughed, wrapping her arms around him and hugging him tightly. "A very good morning."

Noah held her close for a few minutes, enjoying being able to express how he felt about her. This morning had been a bit of a trial for them. He knew it would be a while before she would be comfortable doing what they'd done again, but he didn't mind. Honestly, he was glad to have some boundaries. It would help him to control himself…at least for a while. Eventually, he sighed, pulling back from Elsa and tucking a strand of platinum blonde hair behind her ear.

"Come on, I'm hungry. Let's go see what's for breakfast."

* * *

The morning passed by in a blur for them. Noah kept a close eye on Elsa, monitoring her emotions in case he needed to distract her. But for the first time since he'd met her, she was completely happy, with not even a trace of gloom or depression. He held her hand almost constantly. When they weren't doing anything, he was sitting right beside her, an arm draped across her shoulders. He had never seen her so carefree and peaceful. And there was a bubbling happiness, a joy she could barely contain whenever she thought about him. He loved watching the way her eyes lit up whenever she looked at him.

That afternoon, someone from MS showed up at the house. It was the same lady that had come the night Elsa showed up, the one that Noah talked to. Her blonde hair was gently curled and tumbled down around her shoulders, unlike the high ponytail she'd had it in before. She was dressed formally, but had foregone the typical skirt suit that the MS women wore. Noah took in her pleased expression, avoiding her eyes so that he wouldn't find out what she had to say before everyone else knew. That wouldn't be very fair to Elsa.

Elsa surprised him by going up to the lady to shake her hand. "Hi, Dr. Vence," she said softly, smiling just a little. When the lady smiled at her sadly, Noah stepped up beside them. Elsa wrapped an arm around his waist, her hand fisting his shirt in the back. She was nervous, but she was trying to hide it.

The doctor glanced between the two of them, her smile getting a tiny bit brighter. "Hello, Elsa. My, you've changed. It's only been a couple days. What exactly did you do, Mr. Holton?"

Elsa bit her lip, blushing, and glanced at the floor. Noah cracked a grin at Dr. Vence, tightening his grip on Elsa for just a moment. "Just a bit of a…uh, relationship change," he said, eyes flicking to the side to take in Elsa's flushed cheeks.

"Ah, I see," Dr. Vence said, smiling. "Well, let's add in a bit more happiness, shall we?" She held up a folder stuffed with papers.

Noah squeezed Elsa's shoulders before steering her into the dining room, Dr. Vence following behind them. His mother was in the kitchen, and he called out to her as they took seats at the table. Sarah came bustling in, a hand towel thrown over one shoulder. When she saw who was there, she greeted the blonde woman with a hug.

"I hope you have good news," Sarah said, seating herself at the table.

Dr. Vence smiled. "The best." She pulled a few papers out of the folder in her hands, shuffling through them until she found what she was looking for. She slid one across the table at Sarah. "This is formal acceptance of you and your husband as legal foster parents. We've had to streamline the process. Usually, it takes quite a while to get approved. But I had an Influencer come in from federal and straighten things out. As far as most unMarked are concerned, you and Mr. Holton have been in the system for months, waiting on the right match. Luckily, we seem to have found one," she said, glancing at Elsa with a smile.

The doctor slid another paper across the table. "This one is to confirm your status as Elsa's legal guardians. It's already been approved, all you and Mr. Holton need to do is sign. I have a handful of other papers here, just a bunch of formal legal documents. There are a few more things I need you to sign, but this is the one that matters the most. Of course, we'll have to wait for Mr. Holton to get here, but once everything is signed, it's official."

Sarah stared at the papers in front of her, eyes watering just a little. She glanced up at Elsa, watching a few tears roll silently down the girl's cheeks. "Elsa, sweetie. Is this…are you okay with this?" she asked softly.

Elsa nodded her head, blinking back more tears.

Sarah smiled. She turned her gaze back toward Dr. Vence. "Jim will be home in about thirty minutes. If you don't mind waiting, we can sign everything today."

The doctor didn't mind waiting at all, so they all went to sit in the living room to chat. Noah found out that this was the same woman who had been doing Elsa's annuals since she was little. There was a bit of an awkward moment when Dr. Vence got a little misty-eyed and apologized profusely for never realizing what was going on. But Elsa waved away her apology, stating that she'd been doing her best to hide it. It wasn't anyone's fault. Finally, Noah's father walked in the front door, taking in the group seated in the living room with a wary glance.

Sarah stood up and walked to his side, smiling. "Good news, Jim."

"Really?" he asked, eyes lighting up with happiness when Sarah nodded. He gave her a quick hug, laughing. Then he strode over to the couch and knelt in front of Elsa, taking her hands in his own. "I know this won't be the same as having real parents, ones who love you and cherish you. But I want you to know, we will love and cherish you just the same. Everything will be better now. We'll make sure of it," he said softly.

Elsa's chin trembled, tears spilling down her cheeks. She seemed to wrestle with something internally before making a decision. Throwing her arms around Jim's neck, she cried quietly against his shoulder, gripping him tightly. Jim wrapped his arms around her and glanced at Noah, blinking back tears. Noah smiled at his father, silently reading emotions and becoming happier by the second.

It didn't take them very long to sign everything. When all of the papers had been filled out, Dr. Vence congratulated them and politely excused herself, not wanting to intrude on the family moment. It was a good thirty minutes or more after she had left that all the tears had finally been shed. Noah had never seen Elsa happier. Her emotions were so strong that, when he held her hand, he could feel them even without looking at her eyes; a constant thrum of pure joy in his chest that he knew was from her.

By the time they made it to bed that night, both of them were exhausted from the emotional afternoon. Elsa changed into a borrowed pair of pajamas from his mother while he went to his bathroom to change into his own. When he walked back into the bedroom, she was sitting on the bed, leaning against the headboard with her knees pulled up to her chest. Noah smiled and moved to sit beside her, lifting the covers so he could slide his legs under. He held them up for her while she slipped under them as well. She wiggled down so that she was lying beside him, propped up on one elbow, watching him shyly. He smiled, lying down beside her and holding an arm out for her to snuggle against his side. She blushed and glanced down.

"Elsa…it's all right."

She nodded and took a deep breath. Slowly, she lowered herself down and curled against his side. She draped an arm across his torso, pulling herself closer to him.

After a moment of silence, Noah said softly, "You can drape you leg across mine like you did last night."

Elsa bit her lip. "Are you sure? I mean, I don't want to—"

"Els," he interrupted. "None of this is going to make me uncomfortable. Now if you strip, I might get a little, uh…I guess we can say uncomfortable. But, you know, I don't think you'd do that."

She poked him in the side, glad that he couldn't see the blush that was coloring her cheeks. "Of course I won't. Silly." Rolling her eyes at his methods for making her feel better, she shifted closer to him, settling one of her legs between the two of his. "There, happy now?"

Noah hummed, pulling her closer against his side. "Now, get some sleep, beautiful. I saw your eyes drooping when we were in the living room with my parents."

She closed her eyes, smiling a little. "Goodnight, Noah."

"'Night, Els," he whispered, shifting to place a kiss on the top of her head.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Wow, it feels like it's been forever. Things have just gotten incredibly busy around here. I find I don't have as much spare time as I used to, so it's gotten difficult to find the time to post. But, here we are with another chapter! There will only be one more after this, and hopefully it won't take me quite as long to post this time! Obviously no promises though, I'm clearly bad at keeping those ;) Anyway, here is the second to last chapter! Enjoy, everyone, and thanks to all of you who have read, reviewed, favorited, and/or followed!**

* * *

Chapter 13

The following afternoon, Noah decided that he really wanted to know what all Elsa could do with her ability. They had been keeping an eye on her Mark, making sure that it hadn't gotten infected, and so far everything was fine. But Noah really wanted to see the reason she had that Mark. He had caught a few glimpses of it when she had told him everything a few nights ago, but he didn't see much. She hadn't really used her ability much growing up, so she probably wasn't even sure what all she was capable of. Plus, he wanted to see it in person.

He had his mother bring Bear inside and lock him up in their bedroom before dragging Elsa outside. She didn't have any clue what he was planning, but she followed him anyway. She would follow him anywhere. She glanced at his eyes, that thought fresh in her mind when she looked at him. Noah grinned. She was getting more and more comfortable with letting him see all her thoughts. There were still some things that embarrassed her, but for the most part, they were close enough now that they shared almost everything. So she didn't mind him knowing just how much she trusted him.

Noah pulled her out into the middle of the yard and then backed up a little. Elsa glanced at him, still clueless.

"Um, what are we doing?" she asked, one eyebrow raised.

"I'm not doing anything," he said. " _You_ are going to show me what you can do." When she looked at him, still confused, Noah elaborated. "Your ability. Show me what you can do. I've been dying to see it for the past few days. I just wanted you to recover enough to be able to really enjoy yourself."

"Oh," she said softly. She smiled a little, then closed her eyes.

Noah watched her expression at first, not sure what she was doing. But then a thick layer of ice started spreading out from underneath her feet and he snapped his gaze in the direction of the ground. The ice reached his feet and turned to frost, trailing up his pants leg in a swirl of tiny crystals. It almost felt as if her ice had a consciousness. The frost climbed its way up his body, trailing across his chest and up to wrap around his shoulders. "Whoa," he whispered. He glanced up to see a small smile on Elsa's face, her eyes still closed.

Abruptly, the frost retreated, slipping back down to the ground. Then the ice almost literally exploded out of her. It raced across the yard, going right up to the fence and stopping. His eyes widened as it morphed into snow, coating the entire yard in a thick layer of fluffy white. Something landed on his eyelashes and he blinked, looking up. He couldn't see where it was coming from, but snow was falling steadily around them, landing lightly on his clothes and skin, blending in with the thick covering that was already on the ground.

Elsa opened her eyes as the wind picked up, watching Noah's eyes as she backed up, putting more distance between them. Then she really let go. Wind and snow swirled around her, forming what was unmistakably a miniature blizzard, with her in the center. Tendrils of snow flicked out to the sides, as if feeling for something to latch on to. She closed her eyes again and took a deep breath, calming the storm. The wind and snow slowed to a stop. She opened her eyes again to find Noah staring at her, his mouth hanging open slightly. She let out a small laugh, glancing down at the snow-covered ground. "Impressive enough for you?" she asked quietly.

"Elsa…that was…I mean— wow," he breathed. He knelt down and pushed a hand into the snow. It was the middle of summer, the hottest time of the year, and there was snow in his backyard. All because of the beautiful, powerful girl in front of him. She could easily be incredibly dangerous, if she ever got comfortable enough to use her ability in front of other people.

They heard the screen door snap shut and both of them looked toward the porch. Sarah was standing at the steps, mouth hanging open and staring at the snow with wide eyes. "My goodness," she said softly.

Elsa grinned and looked back down, blushing slightly. She snuck a glance at Noah, seeing that he was still occupied with the snow at his feet. She formed a snowball in her hand in a second, then flung it at Noah before he could see what she was doing. It smacked against the top of his head and he looked up.

"Hey!"

She laughed and Noah couldn't help but grin. It was loud and clear, the first true laughter he had heard from her in a long time. He watched her form another snowball, eyebrow raised as she tossed it up and down. He scrambled to his feet and ran to take cover behind a tree in the back of the yard, scooping up some snow as he ran to make his own snowballs. Elsa pelted him in the back with snow as he ran, still laughing.

"Okay, this is _so_ not fair. At least let me make a few! I can't form them instantly like you can," he said indignantly.

Elsa stood back and crossed her arms across her chest, watching as he formed a handful of snowballs. She let him have just a few seconds before she started pelting him again. This time, he took refuge behind a tree, ducking every time she threw one at him. A few of them still found their mark though. He only managed to hit her a couple times. Their snowball fight lasted quite a while, Sarah sitting on the steps of the porch and laughing, taking a few pictures as they pelted each other. The fight was heavily one-sided; Noah never stood a chance.

Eventually, they gave it up to make a snowman, which Elsa said she'd never done before. Noah thought that was a crime, since she had the ability to make snow, so they went to work. Sarah went inside for a minute, then returned with a few items for them to use as props. She forfeited a carrot that was supposed to be part of the stew for tonight's dinner so that they could have a carrot nose for their snowman. The finished product looked quite impressive. It helped that Elsa could shape the snow when it didn't form a perfect sphere. Sarah made them stand beside their creation so she could take a picture.

By the time they had tired themselves out, the snow still hadn't melted, even in the afternoon heat. Noah eyed the covering of white, wondering what the neighbors would say if they happened to glance out of their upper story windows. He smiled, shaking his head. "So, Els…can you get rid of this?"

She tilted her head to the side, smirking at him. In a split second, every speck of white was gone. Noah looked down at his feet. He was standing on grass again. It didn't even look wet, as if the snow had never been there. He chuckled and looked up at her again. "You are absolutely incredible, you know that?" He smiled as she glanced at the ground, blushing. It was then that he noticed the color of her skin. He glanced down at his own, tinted with pink from being out in the freezing cold for so long. But Elsa didn't look any different than normal, her pale skin not even the slightest bit pink, not even the tip of her nose.

"You don't look like you've been playing in the snow for the past hour. How…" He broke off, shaking his head. "I mean, you don't even look _slightly_ chilly!"

Elsa frowned at him. "That's because I'm not," she said slowly.

Noah chuckled, grinning. "How cold can you handle it?" he asked incredulously.

"I could probably handle anything above zero without even getting goosebumps." She said it so calmly that Noah stared at her in disbelief. "What?" she asked.

"You're amazing," he said softly, coming to stand beside her and wrapping her in a hug. He pulled back, then glanced down at his hands. "Well, I'm cold. Might go inside and put some sweatpants on." He tried to start walking toward the house, but Elsa grabbed his hands and tugged, making him stop. "What?"

In answer, Elsa grasped both of his hands tightly in her own, looking down at them. At first, nothing happened, and Noah wondered what was wrong. He couldn't sense any negative emotions, so he didn't think she was upset, but she was just staring at their hands. It was then that he noticed his fingers were no longer cold. The rest of him was slowly warming up as well. He could feel the sting leaving his cheeks, his arms and legs warming up as well. After a few seconds, Elsa released his hands and glanced at him. Noah held a hand up in front of his face, his mouth hanging open. The skin wasn't pink at all.

"Okay, that is _seriously_ awesome," he said.

"I didn't know I could do that," Elsa said softly. "I just thought I'd try. Since I'm good with cold, you know. When I held your hands, I could feel it. All the different places that you were cold. And I just…pulled it out of you."

"Amazing," Noah whispered, still staring at his hand. He blinked a few times, then dropped his hand and smiled at her. He had just remembered something that happened earlier, something he had wanted to ask her about. "Els, earlier, when you first started icing the place…when your frost crawled up my leg…could you— I mean, it almost felt as if that was…you," he said uncertainly.

She nodded. "It was like I was touching you, but…well, it felt different. I could tell it was you. But it felt a little different than if I had actually used my hands." She glanced down at the ground. "I didn't know I could do that either. But…I don't know. Somehow, I can feel what my ice feels."

Noah grinned at her. "Ice, snow…I'd seen that your ID tags said that, but honestly, it's an understatement. It's more like you control winter itself."

She chuckled, reaching up to finger the chain around her neck. "A bit, I suppose."

"Well," he said, glancing at his hand one last time, "I suppose we don't have to go back inside. Would you like to meet Bear?"

Elsa looked at him skeptically, the smile on her face faded to a look of uncertainty. "Your dog?" she asked.

Noah nodded. "He's a gentle giant, I promise. He is a bit energetic, but he's good with following commands. I'll keep his attention on me until he calms down enough that he won't bowl you over."

She seemed a little nervous, but she eventually nodded her head. "Okay."

"Be right back then," Noah said with a smile. "Wait out here, I'll go get him." He trotted to the porch and went inside, waving to his mother where she sat at the breakfast table before going to fetch his dog. Bear was curled up at the foot of the bed in his parents' room, but as soon as he'd opened the door the dog bolted up and ran to Noah, furiously wagging his tail and whining. He jumped and put his paws on Noah's shoulders, no small feat considering that Noah was over six feet tall, then tried to lick his ears.

Chuckling, Noah gave the dog a good scratch behind the ears, then shoved him off. "Hey, Bear. Love you too, buddy." He gave him a good rub down, trying to work out some of the dog's excitement, then led him toward the back door. Bear trotted along behind him contently, a dopey look on his face, perfectly fine with following his master wherever he wanted to go. Just before opening the back door, Noah took hold of Bear's collar, wanting to make sure he didn't bolt at the sight of Elsa.

She was still standing in the yard right where he'd left her, looking a little apprehensive. Noah smiled slightly, then tightened his grip on Bear's collar as he led the dog off the porch. As soon as they made it to the steps that led down into the grass, Bear finally noticed Elsa and began whining and straining against Noah's hold on him, yipping slightly as he tried to make a run for her.

"Bear, calm," Noah ordered, stopping several feet away from Elsa and waiting for the dog to calm down. At his command, Bear stopped whining and pulling, but he still wiggled excitedly, looking like he wanted nothing more than to greet this new individual. Noah chuckled a little, then glanced up at Elsa. "Ready?"

Elsa bit her bottom lip nervously for a moment, then nodded.

Slowly, Noah approached, still holding on tight to Bear's collar. Once they were right in front of her, he told his dog to sit, kneeling down beside him and beginning to rub his chest with his free hand. Bear was much calmer now, though Elsa still held every bit of his attention. Smiling, Noah looked up at her.

"You can pet him now," he said. "He's calmed down a lot. Though I will warn you, if you get down on this level, he'll try to lick your face."

She definitely didn't look ready for that just yet. Tentatively, she reached out a hand toward Bear's head, letting him sniff her hand. He bypassed sniffing and licked her palm, then put his nose under her hand and nudged. A smile tugged at the corner of Elsa's mouth, the tension in her shoulders easing. She stepped a little closer to them and scratched behind Bear's ears. Noah chuckled slightly at the look of bliss on his dog's face; the Pyrenees had his eyes closed, tongue lolling out and head tilted to the side, pressing into Elsa's hand.

Noah glanced up at Elsa, grinning. "I think he likes you." Gently, he slipped his hand out of Bear's collar, trusting him not to jump on Elsa at this point.

She returned his smile, then knelt down, sitting on her heels and getting on level with Bear's face. The dog was extra happy about that, giving her what was unmistakably a grin, then took a step forward and licked her right on the chin. Elsa scrunched up her nose, rolling her eyes a little at Noah's laugh. She reached out with both hands, rubbing Bear's ears. "He's sweet," she said softly, smiling a little.

"Like I said, he's a gentle giant. He'd never hurt anyone that clearly meant no harm. But he is a good guard dog." Noah reached out to pet Bear as well, the dog looking like he was in heaven with all the attention he was getting.

Elsa took her hands off Bear for a moment, reaching up to scratch her nose. The dog wasn't very happy about that, so he took a step forward and pressed the top of his head against her chest with enough force to make her lose her balance. She tried to catch herself before she toppled backwards, but couldn't do it in time. Elsa ended up seated in the grass, Bear now happily taking a few steps forward until he was right in her lap. She blinked in shock for a few seconds, then smiled when Bear licked her cheek and rested his chin on her shoulder.

Noah watched them interact with a raised eyebrow and a soft smile on his lips. "I've never seen him so calm around someone new before." He watched Elsa shrug sheepishly, then sat down beside her in the grass, reaching out to rub Bear's side. In all honesty, he'd never seen Bear this calm around anyone but his own family. Normally, the dog had way too much energy, and people that he didn't see very often kept him active until he crashed from exhaustion. But he was being unexpectedly gentle and calm with Elsa. Perhaps he could tell that she needed the gentleness.

Bear didn't move from his spot for quite a while. After a minute or two of Elsa sitting there rubbing his sides, she frowned slightly, then started blinking furiously. Gently, she wrapped her arms around the dog in front of her and leaned into him, closing her eyes. Noah followed the flow of her emotions, his heart aching. She definitely needed the gentleness, the comfort that his dog was offering.

For nearly a solid ten minutes, Bear let Elsa hold him. Eventually he grew restless though; he picked up his head and licked her ear, making her jump and let out a chuckle, then promptly laid down in her lap when she let go of him. Noah smiled softly, then scooted closer to her and wrapped an arm behind her, placing his hand in the grass by her hip. Elsa leaned into him, tilting her head to the side to rest against his. They stayed out in the yard for quite a while, a comfortable silence settling between them. There was complete silence for at least an hour or two, until Sarah called to them and let them know that dinner was ready.

As they sat around the dinner table, Noah's father chatting animatedly about his day at work, Noah kept a close eye on Elsa's emotions. Ever since her minor breakdown with Bear in the yard, she'd been much more subdued than she had been the past day or so. Melancholy was starting to creep in, and he could tell that her thoughts were starting to drift toward what had happened on her birthday. He had a feeling that she'd almost been blocking it out the past few days. But it seemed to be coming back to her now. She was steadily getting more depressed.

Noah still didn't think that now was the time for her to talk about what she'd been through, so rather than attempting to get her to talk, he simply pulled her back outside as soon as dinner was finished. When she stood up from the table, he reached for her hand and tangled their fingers together, then smiled at her and tugged her outside. She was back to avoiding his gaze again, something that made his heart ache, but he wouldn't press her. He had a feeling she was only doing it because of the direction her thoughts were going. He was sure she didn't want him seeing anything to do with her parents, and based on her emotions, he knew that was what was on her mind.

When they made it to the center of the yard, Noah sat down in the grass and pulled her with him, then promptly laid down and put his hands behind his head, staring up at the night sky. Elsa didn't join him, feeling a mixture of confusion and reluctance. Noah smiled slightly, then glanced at her. She still kept her gaze away from his.

"Come here," he murmured. "Lay down and look at the stars with me."

Elsa bit her lip, still reluctant, but eventually caved and eased herself down beside him. She laid down close to his side, close enough that he could feel her body heat, but far enough away that they weren't touching. Bear trotted over to them from where he'd been gnawing on a rawhide, then plopped down beside Elsa and promptly laid his head on her stomach. Noah smiled at how fond the dog was of her already, smiling even more when he read Elsa's happiness and contentment. It overrode her misery for a time, but her negative feelings came back after a while of lying in the grass.

Noah wished there was something he could do to help her forget what she'd been through, but he didn't think it was possible. He knew this would likely continue to torment her for years. He frowned to himself, watching as a light, wispy cloud blew across the moon. Sooner or later, she would need to talk about this. He didn't really know if it would help her to forget about it, but he was sure that some of the pain would go away if she talked about what she'd been through. Aside from that though, he didn't know if there was much he could do to help her.

After an hour or two of lying silently in the grass, Noah smiled slightly at a shift in Elsa's emotions. He glanced to his left, warmth blossoming in his chest as he took in her sleeping form. Her head was turned toward him slightly, her lips just barely parted, one of her hands resting on her stomach. Her other hand was tangled in Bear's fur, the dog asleep beside her, his entire body pressed against her side. Noah's smile softened and he reached out to gently tuck a loose strand of hair behind Elsa's ear.

"So beautiful," he breathed to himself, just barely brushing his thumb across her jaw as he pulled his hand back.

Noah watched her silently for a few minutes, then eventually let out a quiet sigh and sat up. Bear picked up his head as he did so, blinking slowly and watching Noah intently. Noah smiled softly, then stood up, slow and easy so as not to wake Elsa. He snapped as quietly as he could, getting Bear to sit up, then glanced back down. Elsa looked much more peaceful in sleep than she had been not too long ago, her emotions softer and muted like anyone else in sleep, no longer the sharp, depressing melancholy that they had been before. Noah let out one more sigh, then bent down and attempted to gently slide his hands under her sleeping form.

He expected her to wake as he lifted her into his arms, but she only shifted slightly, turning her head so that her cheek was pressed against his chest. Noah raised an eyebrow slightly, but smiled. Honestly, he felt like he shouldn't be surprised. He'd already discovered that she was a heavy sleeper, though part of him had thought that might only be because she was so physically exhausted. Maybe it wasn't though, maybe she actually did sleep this hard, when given the opportunity.

As quietly as possible, Noah made his way into the house, calling for Bear to stay as he made his way onto the porch. Elsa was light enough that he was able to shift her in his grip, holding her with just one hand as he reached out to open the back door. When he walked through the kitchen and into the living room, about to make his way upstairs, he found his parents sitting on the couch together, Sarah with her reading glasses perched on the tip of her nose, a book in hand, and Jim holding the remote, staring at the television. They both looked up as he walked in, smiling softly.

"She wear herself out again?" Sarah whispered.

Noah nodded. "Emotionally, again. She's…" He trailed off, a slight frown on his face as he glanced down at the sleeping girl in his arms. "It might be a while before her emotions aren't so draining that she gets tuckered out after too much thought."

His parents were quiet for a moment. Noah looked up when his mother sighed, reading her concern, but also a quiet confidence. "She'll be okay, Noah. It might take a while, but things will get better. Just be patient. And be there whenever she needs you."

Noah swallowed past the lump in his throat, formed at his sudden influx of emotions. "I will," he murmured. With one more glance down at Elsa, he began to make his way upstairs, still trying to be quiet.

When he'd made it into his room, or theirs now that he thought about it, he walked softly to the bed and flipped the covers back, laying her down gently. She still didn't wake, her chest rising and falling steadily with each soft breath. Noah smiled, then pulled up the covers and tucked her in. He watched her for just a moment, then walked around to the other side of the bed and climbed in beside her. She turned toward him slightly, but didn't wake. Noah rolled himself a bit closer to her, then wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her against his chest, resting his head on the pillow beside hers. His gaze never left her as he lay there, lost in thought. Just before he fell asleep, Noah gave her waist a gentle squeeze and leaned forward to press a kiss to her forehead.

"So beautiful," he breathed once more, then closed his eyes and allowed sleep to take him.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Wow! Sorry for such a long delay guys! Things have been super busy around here, and I just haven't had the time to post. But, here it is at last! This has been a rather long journey it seems, longer than it would usually take for me to get something of this length posted. Hopefully that doesn't happen again. Anyway, here we are at the end! This is the last chapter, an epilogue of sorts, just tying up some loose ends. I hope you've all enjoyed this story! And as always, thanks to everyone who has read, favorited, followed, and/or reviewed! It all means a lot, to see you guys enjoying my stuff. Hope you guys enjoy this last chapter!**

* * *

Chapter 14

Noah stared at the strip of moonlight that shone against his ceiling, his thoughts wandering as he listened to the steady in and out of Elsa's breathing. She'd fallen asleep somewhere around an hour ago, but he hadn't been able to quiet his thoughts enough to do the same. It had been almost two months since Elsa's birthday, since she was welcomed into his home and family. It had been a long, trying two months, but they'd made a bit of progress.

For the first several weeks, Noah had had to wake Elsa up from nightmares nearly every single night. Sometimes he was already asleep, though her emotions were always sharp enough that it would wake him up almost instantly. Other times, he was lying awake, lost in thought, when she shifted from dreamless sleep to a vivid nightmare. Each time he woke her up, she spent the next half hour or better sobbing in his arms, shaking and gripping him so tightly that he was surprised he didn't bruise. But she never wanted to talk about what she dreamed about, keeping completely silent until she fell back asleep. Noah never pushed her to talk about it, knowing that she would when she was ready.

Other than her nightmares, Elsa didn't seem to be struggling too much. The first several weeks were rougher than the rest, with her emotions sinking toward depression more often. She would occasionally spend hours at a time just sitting in the yard with Bear, slowly stroking his fur as her thoughts tormented her. Bear was always calm with her, never overly energetic. He was simply there for her to lean on.

When the month of August rolled around, Elsa finally started to do a bit better. She was happier more often, more lighthearted and cheerful. What made Noah the happiest was the fact that she no longer seemed worried about what he would see in her eyes. She always met his gaze now, no matter what was on her mind. She seemed more comfortable around him than she'd ever been, no longer having to hide things from him. He'd seen her happiness about that countless times, had watched her thoughts turn toward her ability with a smile, because she could think about that now without any consequences.

Elsa was even more happy about the fact that she could _use_ her ability now with no consequences. She was nearly always doing something, whether it be forming small sculptures out of ice or letting out a puff of tiny snowflakes. When they went to bed at night, Elsa always lowered the temperature in their room, keeping it cold enough for her, but not so chilly that Noah was uncomfortable. She seemed to glow with every tiny use of her ability, smiling every time, thrilled that she no longer had to hold it back.

The only time her ability had not brought a smile to her face had been when she realized that it was impossible for people not to know she was Marked now. A week before school began, she'd finally realized that everyone would see her Mark, they would know she was different. She'd been unbearably nervous, so much so that Noah could feel it at times, even without triggering that part of his ability. The night before they went back to school, she'd actually been so nervous that she couldn't sleep at all, until Noah pulled her against his chest and pressed gentle kisses to her temple, murmured in her ear, rubbed her back until she calmed down.

As it turned out, she didn't have anything to be worried about. Quite a few people eyed the sigma tattooed on her neck with a wary glance, and a handful of them sent her resentful looks, but no one reacted differently past that. Besides, Noah would have stopped anyone that tried to bully her because of her Mark. He had almost the same exact schedule that she did, only having two different classes. His presence was enough to keep away any of the would-be bullies.

After school got going, and Elsa realized that she wasn't going to be bullied for her Mark, she lightened up considerably. Noah had noticed a huge difference in the last couple weeks, a massive shift in her emotions that he actually hadn't been expecting. Her nightmares were less frequent now, only once or twice a week, and she didn't let her thoughts get her down very often. She was happier than he'd ever seen her. Her smiles and laughter, and the _feel_ of her joyful emotions, made Noah unbelievably happy.

Still though, she had yet to talk about anything that had gone on during her childhood. He almost felt like she was trying to block it out, but the occasions where her guard slipped made it obvious that blocking it out wasn't going to work forever. He really didn't want to push her, but he also didn't want those negative thoughts and emotions to fester or build up. The lady from Marked Services, Dr. Vence, had told him that it would be better for her to talk about what happened, but he'd never felt that it was the right time to do it. The last thing he wanted to do was make Elsa relive all of that if it wouldn't do her any good.

Noah let out a quiet sigh and glanced to his left, his gaze settling on Elsa's sleeping form. She was lying on her back, her head turned away from him, chest rising and falling gently with her steady breathing. Her platinum blonde hair was spread out across her pillow, spilling down over her shoulder in silky, slightly tangled waves. Noah reached out to slide his fingers through a few strands, remembering with a smile the first time she'd unbraided her hair around him. He'd nearly been stunned to silence, the look so shocking, but unbelievably _beautiful_ on her that he couldn't seem to put together a coherent sentence.

For several minutes, Noah lay there with a silly grin on his face, still stroking the silky strands of Elsa's hair as she slept. But rather abruptly, he was pulled out of his thoughts by a shift in her emotions. A sharp pang of pain and terror washed through her, the emotions once again so powerful that Noah knew it would have woken him up if he'd been sleeping. His smile instantly slipped off his face, replaced with a concerned frown. He reached out to gently shake Elsa's shoulder, trying to wake her up.

"Elsa," he said, speaking loud enough that she would hear. "It's just a dream. Wake up."

A moment later, she jerked her head in his direction and snapped her eyes open. Like all the times before, she met his gaze for a moment, slightly disoriented. But when she finally realized where she was and what had happened, her eyes welled up with tears. She choked out a sob and surged forward, flinging herself into Noah's arms.

Noah's brow furrowed as he tightened his arms around her, holding her against his chest and trying to calm her down. "It's okay, Els," he murmured, reaching up with one hand to run his fingers through her hair. "You're okay. I've got you." He shushed her gently, continued murmuring in her ear and slipping his fingers through her silky hair, doing his best to comfort her.

Much like the other nights that he'd had to wake her up from a nightmare, it took her more than half an hour to calm down. Noah didn't let go of her the entire time, kept her held tight against his chest. She was so slight that her weight against his chest didn't even stop him from pulling in a full, deep breath. Eventually, her tears slowed to a halt, though she kept randomly shivering every now and then. Noah gave her a few more minutes to calm down even more, then spoke softly.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

For several minutes, she didn't say a word, didn't even move other than her random tremors. Noah frowned slightly, curious. Her emotions weren't any different than they normally were after a nightmare, a mixture of misery, lingering fear, and slight desperation. But she'd never completely ignored him when he asked that. After several minutes of silence, Elsa shifted slightly, then spoke, her voice little more than a whisper.

"I think…I know why all of that happened," she said quietly, hesitantly. Noah did his best to contain his shock; she was actually going to talk about it. Elsa relaxed a little, slipping her hand under his shirt and pressing it against the bare skin of his side. Her emotions told him that she was mildly embarrassed about that, but desperately wanted more comfort. Noah held her closer and rubbed his thumb between her shoulder blades, trying to silently tell her that it was okay.

She seemed to struggle for a moment, trying to figure out what to say. Finally, she took a steadying breath and spoke once more. "When I was little, I think around six or so, I wasn't quite as good at controlling my ability. The people from MS had already explained that Control abilities are harder to handle when you're young, so I guess it was to be expected." She went quiet again for a moment, her hand tensing against Noah's side, her fingers gripping him tighter for a second or two before relaxing.

"What I was dreaming about…" She swallowed hard and pressed herself closer to him. "I was standing in the living room, staring out of the window. It was storming outside. My father was in there, watching television I think." Elsa trembled slightly and took another shaky breath before continuing. "There was a loud clap of thunder. Kinda spooked me, I guess. Enough to make me frost half of the living room."

Noah swallowed past a lump in his throat, knowing what she was about to say. He didn't remember the incident she was talking about, though he wasn't sure if she had actually showed it to him or not. She'd showed him so much the day she showed up at his house that he had difficulties picking out details at this point.

Elsa shivered again. "My parents never liked it when I used my ability. It only happened a couple times when I was young, because I learned really quickly to keep it controlled. That day…" She gripped him tighter for a moment, then relaxed, though her muscles were still a little more tense than they had been before. Noah read a mixture of terror and intense sadness from her. "When I frosted the living room, my father was instantly furious. He…" Another pause. She was having difficulties talking about this. Noah could tell she was reluctant, but it was also clear that she actually _wanted_ to talk about it, needed to, even.

Eventually, she continued, her voice extremely quiet, just a whisper of sound. "I could barely breathe when he was done. Luckily, it was during the summer, so I didn't have school to go to. I couldn't really move for a few days. I'm pretty sure he fractured a few of my ribs. It hurt _so badly_ to breathe. I wanted to cry, but it hurt to do that too." She felt so miserable that Noah could actually feel it without looking into her eyes. His frown deepened and he tenderly began slipping his fingers through her hair once more, hoping to provide her with a little comfort.

Elsa sighed slightly, a tiny hint of contentment coloring her emotions. She snuggled closer to Noah, her hand still pressed against his skin beneath his shirt. "I don't remember a time that my parents didn't verbally abuse me. But I vividly remember the first time they hit me. It was my father…" Her voice was so full of despair and misery that it made his heart ache. "It was about a week after my fifth birthday. I had accidentally dropped the temperature of the kitchen to probably somewhere around twenty below zero. He threw a punch at me for it."

For a minute or two, there was silence. Noah didn't want to say anything for fear of making her stop talking, so he kept any would-be comments to himself. But he continued slipping his fingers through her hair, doing his best to at least provide physical comfort if nothing else. After a few minutes of quiet, Elsa finally spoke once more, still sounding thoroughly depressed.

"I think it was because of my Mark," she whispered. "I think they beat me because of my Mark, because I was different, abnormal. They hated me for it, I know. Thought it was something to be ashamed of. This ability has felt more like a curse than a gift, from the moment I was aware of it."

Noah frowned. That sounded quite a bit like what he'd thought of his own gift when he was young, though for entirely different reasons. Gently, he nudged Elsa and rolled over until she had her back pressed against the mattress, staring up at him with wide eyes so full of torment and despair that he had to blink away a few tears. "They were wrong," he murmured, reaching up to place his hand against her cheek.

Elsa blinked at him, confusion in her eyes.

"Your ability is nothing to be ashamed of. Maybe it was the reason they beat you, maybe they did hate you for it. But I can promise you, Els," he said tenderly, holding her gaze, "you won't have to deal with that anymore. Because everyone in this house _loves_ you for it. It's just another thing that makes you who you are." Noah slid his hand across her jawline, his fingers coming to rest on the sigma tattooed behind her ear. He gently stroked her skin, his eyes still locked on her vivid blue ones, smiling softly. He shifted until he was holding himself up above her, his elbows on either side of her chest, one knee pressing against the mattress between her legs.

"This Mark," he murmured, rubbing his thumb across the tattoo, "it's part of what makes you beautiful, special. It's one more reason to love you even more, Elsa, not to hate you. It's a part of _you_ , and I wouldn't change a single thing about you, not for the world. I love you just the way you are." Slowly, Noah leaned down until he could press a kiss to the Mark behind her ear, his lips lingering against the tender skin, smiling a little when he felt her skin break out in goosebumps beneath his lips. He smiled even more when he read the spike of pleasure from her, beginning the process of washing away her misery.

Feeling emotional, and a little bold, Noah continued to press tender kisses over her Mark, trying to show her what he felt, to make his words clear. He ended up losing himself slightly and straying away from the spot, trailing soft kisses down the side of her neck and then back up to her Mark once more. Elsa's breathing was coming a little quicker now, and when he trailed his tongue slowly across her skin she instinctively reached up to grip his shirt, clenching the fabric in her fists and tugging slightly. Noah smirked a little, then gently nipped at the skin behind her ear, drawing a gasp out of her. He wasn't paying much attention to her emotions, but the only thing he was fully aware of at the moment was her pleasure.

Elsa let him trail his lips down the side of her neck one more time, then reached up higher on his shirt to tug him toward her lips. Noah didn't get a glimpse of her eyes, but it didn't matter. The second their lips touched, he felt everything she was feeling, even with the same intensity. Her pleasure coursed through him in waves, his own Mark beginning to prickle slightly where hers did because of his ministrations. Even more overpowering than the pleasure she felt though were the all-consuming amounts of love and affection she was feeling. Her love for him swelled in Noah's chest, making his own love for her swell tenfold. Vaguely remembering what she'd said the first time they'd kissed, Noah deepened their kiss, slipping his tongue between her lips, wanting her to feel everything he was feeling as well.

Very clearly, it worked. She gasped slightly into his mouth, her fingers curling tighter into his shirt. There was a momentary pause, a slight break in their kiss, and then they crashed together, pleasure and sensation hitting a new high. Noah felt everything, but couldn't put a name to any of it. He just _felt_ her, felt her presence, felt an overwhelming sense that she was there and alive.

Elsa's hands worked their way under his shirt, fingers trailing across his muscles, tracing every rise and fall. Her nails scraped lightly across his skin, leaving goosebumps in their wake. Noah shivered, his emotions swelling even more with hers. The muscles in his stomach tightened when Elsa let out a low groan, his blood quickly rushing south. His heart was pounding in his chest, and his lungs were already screaming for air. Reluctantly, he pulled away from Elsa's lips, kissing his way past her chin, down the column of her throat. His mind was completely clouded now, the only things he could focus on being her emotions and feelings.

Several minutes later somehow found them both lying on his bed with their shirts on the floor, Elsa's hands continuously trailing across his chest, Noah's own slowly mapping out every dip and curve of her torso. Her skin was incredibly soft, and though they were both breathing heavily and Noah himself felt like he was on fire, it was cool to the touch. His skin pressed against hers was both refreshing and entirely arousing, the stark contrast between the temperatures of their bodies causing Noah's skin to prickle.

Every tiny change in Elsa's feelings was overwhelming. Each time a touch or kiss sent a spike of pleasure through her, Noah made note of it, wanting to remember every little thing that made her heart race. He wanted to find her sweet spots, the places that had her melting beneath him and completely giving way to pleasure. Like the small patch of skin on the underside of her jaw, just below her ear. Or just above the bottom edge of her ribs on her left side. Noah pressed kisses and tender touches to every inch of her skin, determined to find every single place that drew out those beautiful sounds of pleasure from her lips.

Noah was so focused on his task that he didn't even realize how heated things had actually gotten. Elsa squirmed beneath him as he trailed his lips down her stomach, her skin now close to what could actually be considered warm. He trailed his tongue across the skin just above the waistband of her sleep shorts, then nipped at the skin on her hipbone, smiling as she shuddered and wound her hands tighter into his hair. That would be another place he would have to remember.

Agonizingly slowly, he worked his way back up her torso, dipping his tongue into the hollow of her neck as he passed it, then quickly shifting higher and pressing a hard kiss to her lips. They were both far past the point of being able to breathe properly, so Noah frequently had to pull back for air, but he didn't want to stop. His hands still worked their way over her torso, fingers caressing every inch of skin that was quickly becoming more heated. With his mind nearly completely blank and hazy with desire, Noah didn't pay much attention to where he let his fingers wander. He skimmed them across the tops of her breasts, then traced down her cleavage and all the way to her navel. He slid his fingers lower as he pressed his lips more firmly against hers, slipping them under the waistband of her underwear. A sharp spike of nerves from her washed through him, cutting through the pleasure clouding his mind.

Noah stilled his hand, then pulled back from her lips and glanced at her. Elsa avoided his gaze, tilting her head back and closing her eyes, nibbling slightly on her bottom lip. The nerves she felt weren't quite as sharp now, but pleasure was quickly backing off. She was a mostly mixture of nervousness, anxiety, and embarrassment now. Noah exhaled softly and slid his fingers out of her shorts. He placed his palm against her jaw, thumb gently stroking her cheek.

"Elsa," he murmured. She kept her eyes closed, still avoiding his gaze. "Look at me, Els," he said softly.

When she finally met his gaze, with obvious reluctance, Noah absorbed her emotions and thoughts, realizing that she had desperately wanted him to continue, but the fact that she wanted it so badly made her incredibly nervous. Then there was the simple fact that she'd never done this before; it was new, and new things always scared her somewhat. She trusted him, but it still made her nervous. Noah smiled slightly and leaned forward to press a chaste kiss to her cheek.

"Only when you're ready. Okay?"

Elsa blinked, then exhaled shakily, overwhelming gratitude and affection in her eyes. Noah smiled a bit brighter at her, pressed a soft kiss to her lips, then curled up against her side and pulled her to his chest, his arm wrapped around her waist. His heart was still racing, and his breathing had yet to slow down, but he was back in control of his thoughts and actions now. His gaze latched onto the pulse throbbing in Elsa's neck, then trailed down to her collarbone, which he'd showered with nips and kisses enough that her skin had turned red. He smiled and closed his eyes, pulling her closer.

After several minutes of quiet, both of them trying to calm down, Elsa reached up to rest her arm on top of his, her hand resting on his bicep, fingers tracing his muscles. "I love you," she murmured softly.

Noah blinked his eyes open in shock, then blinked a few more times as a broad grin slowly lit up his face. He'd felt that from her for years now, had known in his heart that that was how she felt, but hearing her say it was infinitely more wonderful. He pressed a light kiss to her cheek again, then rested his forehead against the side of her head, his lips close to her ear.

"I love you too, Els. With everything that I am." Elsa hummed happily and snuggled closer to his chest.

Things weren't perfect. Noah wasn't sure if they ever would be. She'd been through too much for that to happen any time soon. He knew she would still have nightmares, would still have moments where depression and misery took hold. But she'd already made progress, and he knew she would only get better from here. He would make sure of it. He would be there every step of the way, supporting her, loving her, giving her every bit of pleasure and happiness that she had been denied all her life. He would make sure she knew she was special.


End file.
